The Heavy Burden of 250-M Obese Children All Set For the World to Carry by 2030

(Photo : Unsplash) The obesity crisis is worsened by the adaptation of "Western" diet which is high on fats, sugar, and starch.

A new report on childhood obesity projected that there will be at least 250 million obese children in middle school up to adolescent by 2030.

Currently, the estimated number of obese children globally is 158 million, according to the World Obesity Federation (WOF)'s first Atlas of Childhood Obesity. But due to the adaptation of a sedentary lifestyle and the increasing popularity of "Western diet" which roughly translates to high-fats, high-sugar, and high-carbs diet, the number could increase significantly, said Dr. Tim Lobstein, co-author of the said study and the current Director of Policy at the WOF.

Dr. Lobstein also said that he was surprised by this "extraordinary increase."

Developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America were especially at risk, according to the report, largely owing to the lifestyle evolution in countries belonging to these regions.

During the World Health Organization (WHO) Summit in 2013, it was agreed that by 2025, no country included in the atlas should have a level of childhood obesity rate higher than it was between 2010 to 2012. Dr. Lobstein, however, announced that no country will be able to fulfill that requirement. Four out of five countries they assessed, says Lobstein, had no more than 10 percent chance of meeting the requirement.

In the United States, about 26 percent of children aged five to nine years old and 24 percent of those aged 10 to 19 years old would be obese by 2030, the report said. This is a huge leap from the current year's 7.9 percent for young children, 9.7 percent among 12 to 15 years, and 14 percent for 16-19 years old age group that the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey presented. The estimated total number of obese children are expected to be at 17 million, the third largest population after China and India.

Pacific Island like Cook Islands and Palau are ranking high due to heavy reliant on food imports that highly processed and loaded with huge amounts of fats and sugar, Dr. Lobstein also added.

Calling it a "social problem, not a private problem," Dr. Lobstein was hoping that the younger generation would also have a stronger stance towards obesity, the same way they did with climate change.

Weight-loss surgery for kids?

Due to the worsening obesity crisis, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a leading group of pediatricians said that weight-loss surgery should be more accessible, even to children and teenagers.

"Lifestyle change is still the mainstay of the treatment but medical care will help the children become better," said Dr. Sarah Armstrong, an executive committee member of the AAP Section on Obesity.

Dr. Armstrong also said that there was a recent research that proves the safety of surgery to children, but unfortunately, the said procedure is still significantly underused. The "significant disparities" are hindering the patients from accessing it, and Dr. Armstrong wants the surgery to be an option for all patients who need it, regardless of race, ethnicity, or income.

Among the benefits of weight-loss surgery for the youth, as stated in the research, is the long-term reduction of weight-related diseases like diabetes and hypertension.

AAP will be presenting the new policy at the annual meeting in New Orleans on Sunday.