Obesity and high blood sugar increasingly impact global health: study

A major international study revealed that obesity, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure are now responsible for nearly 50% more years of healthy life lost to disease or premature death compared to the year 2000.

Despite expectations for increased life expectancy, people are likely to spend more years in poor health, the study indicated.

The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study 2021, published on Thursday in The Lancet, utilized data from 204 countries and territories to pinpoint the primary global causes of illness and early death, measured in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). The findings highlight a significant shift in global health challenges due to aging populations and changing lifestyles, with metabolic issues becoming more prominent.

The study found that, since 2000, the years of healthy life lost due to factors linked to undernutrition in mothers and children, such as stunting or wasting, decreased by 71.5%. Conversely, the years lost due to metabolic issues have surged, reflecting the growing impact of conditions like obesity and high blood sugar.

Air pollution remained the largest risk factor for health in both 2000 and 2021, the authors noted. However, the impact of health risks was not uniform across the globe. In sub-Saharan Africa, undernutrition continues to be a major health risk factor.

The study highlighted that ill-health among individuals aged 15 to 49 worldwide is increasingly attributed to high body-mass index (BMI) and high blood sugar, both significant risk factors for developing diabetes.

“Future trends may be quite different than past trends because of factors such as climate change and increasing obesity and addiction,” said Liane Ong, lead research scientist at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, which led the study.

An additional study from the Global Burden of Diseases team predicted that by 2050, life expectancy is expected to increase by 4.5 years, rising from 73.6 years to 78.1 years. The most substantial increases in life expectancy are anticipated in countries with currently lower estimates, indicating a global convergence in life expectancy.

Despite the projected increase in life expectancy, the study forecasted that people are likely to spend more years living in poor health.