There is currently an 'obesity epidemic' around the world, doctors say

On top of the COVID-19 pandemic, there's another widespread health issue that should be cause for concern, and that's obesity.

During the World Obesity Day press conference on Friday, ManilaMed endocrinologist Dr. Mia Fojas said that the world is currently suffering from an obesity epidemic.

"Worldwide, 800 million people are living with obesity. Hindi tayo nahuhuli sa Pilipinas," she said.

According to data, the obesity prevalence rate in the Philippines is at 37.2 percent.

"Pataas 'yan ng pataas. Based on previous data, mga 28 percent lang noon. Now it's 37.2 percent," Fojas said.

That means that 1 out of 3 Pinoys are at risk of obesity or already obese.

Prevalance rates are also high in Southeast Asian countries; more than 30 million people with obesity live in the region.

According to the World Health Organization, obesity rates have increased alarmingly in the past 10 to 15 years. One in five overweight adults are obese. As for children, there are approximately 6.6 million obese kids under 5 years old.

So why are obesity rates around the world at an all-time high?

"A lot of people have more access now to non-healthy foods, fast foods. Dati we like food that are cooked at home, now there's more access to trans fats," Fojas said.

"We have fast lives so we hardly time to do physical activities. So we just sit down and work and then eat. There's also sleep deprivation, and there's a lot of stressors going on," she added.

Fojas also said that there's an "epidemic of physical inactivity" in the Philippines.

This is a problem because aside from the health risks that obesity poses to individuals, it also has an impact on economy.

"Obesity negatively impacts an individual's quality of life and increases the cost of healthcare locally, nationally, and worldwide," Fojas said.

That said, it is important to shift the focus from obesity as an individual problem and more as a public health concern.

"We want to change the narrative and how the world sees obesity, prevents it, and treats it," said Dr. Miroslava Guajardo, M.D., a senior medical manager in global healthcare company Novo Nordisk.

"Obesity is everybody’s problem. Everybody needs to act. The obesity prevalence rate is alarming, and we need to manage it," she added. —JCB, GMA News