AZ Groeninge Kortrijk
How frequent is overweight/obesity?
In 2008, there were more than 1.4 billion people worldwide who were overweight, including 200 million men and 300 million women who were obese.
In Belgium, 59 % of the population is currently overweight and 22 % obese. The rapid rise of this chronic disease is illustrated by the fact that in 1975 this was 43% and 10% respectively.
Worryingly, obesity among children and adolescents is also on the rise. Although it is often assumed that obesity is mainly a typical Western disease, the incidence of obesity has also increased sharply in developing countries in recent years.
If the current trend continues, more than half of the world's population is expected to be overweight or obese by 2030.
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More information can be found on the website of the World Health Organization:
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