According to the World Obesity Federation’s Global Obesity Atlas 2023 report, Nigeria is the least prepared to deal with the global rise in Non-communicable Diseases and obesity.
According to the research, Nigeria ranks 180 out of 183 countries in the NCDs-Obesity Preparedness Rankings.
The ranking system considers countries’ current responses to NCDs in their health systems as well as their commitment to implementing obesity prevention policies.
The survey reveals significant differences in preparation across national income levels and geographical regions. For example, the average preparation score for low-income countries is 154/183, whereas high-income countries rank 29/183. Eight of the ten least prepared countries are in Africa, while all 10 of the most prepared are in Europe.
Nigeria ranks 183, Papua New Guinea 182, Somalia 181, Central African Republic 179, Burkina Faso 178, Guinea Bissau 177, Burundi 176, Tokelau 175, and Gambia 174 as the nations least prepared to deal with NCDs-obesity.
Meanwhile, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, France, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Ireland, and Belgium have been identified as having the best preparation to deal with obesity and NCDs.
The trends suggest a gradual rise in prevalence for all groups over the period 2020 to 2035, but the pace of change for lower-income countries and especially the lowest-income countries could well increase relative to the last two decades.
Lower-middle-income countries with large populations, such as India, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Nigeria, may quickly follow the lead of upper-middle-income countries such as Mexico, Brazil, and Turkey in terms of rapid rise in obesity prevalence, particularly among children and adolescents, according to the report.
By 2035, the anticipated trend in the prevalence of obesity in Nigerian adults is 24%.
Research also revealed that the yearly growth in adult and child obesity from 2020 to 2035 will be quite high, at 4.9% and 8.3%, respectively.
According to the report, the overweight effect on national GDP is projected to be 0.9% by 2035.
According to research conducted by the World Obesity Federation, people living with obesity face some barriers to care because they commonly cannot obtain a diagnosis (because obesity may not be classified as a disease) or the treatment they require from knowledgeable and trained health professionals, and are forced to incur significant out-of-pocket expenses to receive appropriate medical treatment.
Overweight and obesity are projected to cost more than $370 billion per year in low and lower-middle-income countries by 2035.
Commenting on the research, the Director of Science at the World Obesity Federation, Rachel Jackson-Leach said “If we do not act now, we are on pace to see significant increases in obesity prevalence over the next decade. The greatest increases will be observed in low and lower-middle income nations, where scarce resources and a lack of readiness will combine to produce a perfect storm that will disproportionately impact people living with obesity.”
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