Metabolism. 2026 Oct 29:156812. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2026.156812. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Obesity has become a major global public health challenge and is associated with an increasing burden of metabolic and non-metabolic comorbidities. We aimed to provide an updated assessment of the global prevalence of overweight and obesity and to examine temporal trends in selected associated with excess adiposity. Data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study were analyzed to estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults aged ≥20 years in 2023, stratified by sex and age group. We additionally examined age-standardized global prevalence trends for obesity and selected diseases associated with excess adiposity, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), cardiovascular disease (CVD), along with other chronic diseases associated with excess adiposity, such as dementias and obesity-related cancers, over 2000-2023.In 2023, the prevalence of overweight was generally higher in men, whereas obesity was more prevalent among women, particularly during middle age. Both overweight and obesity increased from early adulthood, peaked during middle age, and subsequently declined at older ages. Globally, obesity prevalence increased by approximately 95% between 2000 and 2023, reaching 19.5% in 2023. During the same period, the age-standardized prevalence of MASLD, T2DM, CKD, dementias, and obesity-related cancers increased. In contrast, age-standardized CVD prevalence decreased slightly and the divergent trends between obesity and age-standardized CVD prevalence highlight the multifactorial nature of cardiovascular risk and the potential impact of improvements in other cardiovascular risk factors. These findings underscore the urgent need for integrated, population-level strategies to prevent and effectively manage obesity and its complications.
PMID:42956990 | DOI:10.1016/j.metabol.2026.156812