Prevalence of Obesity

The recent increase in obesity in most developed countries is staggering, and it cuts across all ages, ethnic groups, and socioeconomic classes. In 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 1.6 billion adults were overweight and at least 400 million were obese. By 2015, WHO projects that 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million will be obese. The fastest growing segment is the morbidly obese.