The World Obesity Federation (WOF) has issued a gloomy health warning. It said half of us will be obese or overweight by 2035. In just over a decade, more than four billion people will have weight issues. There are over a billion obese people in the world today. Rates are rising fastest among children and adolescents. The WHO defines obesity as "abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health". A body mass index (BMI) over 30 is obese. The American Medical Association classed obesity as a disease. Many health organizations say it is a pandemic.

The WOF said immediate action must be taken to avoid "serious repercussions" in the future. It said the rise was "particularly worrying". It urged governments to do all they could to avoid passing health, social, and economic costs on to younger generations. The federation wants the root causes to be addressed. These include an increased consumption of processed foods, falling levels of exercise, and a lack of weight-management healthcare services. The WOF wants less marketing of food that has high fat and sugar content, and providing healthy food in schools.