In November 2014, the McKinsey Global Institute made headlines across the political, medical, educational, nutritional and popular news spheres with a discussion paper highlighting the severity of the global obesity epidemic, and its economic impact.
Image from McKinsey Global Institute
Some Obesity Stats:
- As of 2013, 30% of the population was obese.
- By the year 2030, it is estimated that this rate will increase to 41%. And this isn’t just in the developed world, but includes all countries around the globe.
- The number of obese is 2 and a half times the number of people who are undernourished.
- 5% of deaths around the world can be attributed to obesity
- At the current rate of increase, by the year 2030, half of the world’s adults will be either overweight or obese.
- Obesity costs $2 trillion – mostly in health care costs and lost productivity. This comes in at a close third in social burdens, after smoking and armed violence/war– costing $2.1 trillion each.
When we are talking about “obese” and “overweight” we’re following the BMI scale. You can calculate your BMI online here.
Even though this is the most common way to classify weight, it is not always the most accurate. It does not account for your muscle mass, or your bone mass. For example, body builders and athletes will often have a BMI in the overweight or even obese range, because their muscle is heavy.
There are other ways to calculate how excess weight can affect your health, including hip and waist measurements, as well as measurements of body fat – all of which can be done with a Naturopathic Doctor.
Healing the Obesity Epidemic
The McKinsey Group called on key stakeholders to make changes. Claiming that it will take all key stakeholders working together to make impactful changes to curbing the rise in global obesity. The Health Care sector is one of these key stakeholders, along with schools, government, manufacturers, restaurants, retailers, and employers.
The role of Naturopathic Doctors covers many areas of interventions, including nutritional education, physical fitness, as well as the mental and emotional aspects of over-eating and weight loss. ND’s are also well positioned to address the physical hurdles that may stand in the way of achieving a healthy weight (e.g., hormonal imbalance, sleep deprivation, poor digestion/metabolism) as well as treating the conditions that can arise from being overweight (e.g., infertility, fatty liver, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, arthritis, etc.)
Maintaining a healthy weight is vitally important to enable you to enjoy a long and happy life. Most people I talk to you more concerned about being able to play with their grandchildren than the number on the scale.
If you are struggling to maintain a healthy body weight, please talk to your Naturopathic Doctor today.
Naturopathic Doctor
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