Heart disease and obesity: The world is getting fatter, and it takes a heavy toll

Heart disease and obesity

The world is getting fatter, a new study shows. And with that comes all sorts of health issues, including heart disease, which causes 1 out of every 4 deaths in many countries.

Disturbingly, a new study published earlier this month in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access scientific publication, shows a three-fold increase in obesity-related deaths from heart disease in the US between 1999 and 2020.

Experts underscore a key issue, i.e. recognising risk factors for heart disease: smoking, including cigarettes, pipes, vape and sheesha, which ranks among the most significant contributors to heart disease.

Other critical risk factors encompass obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, family history. Addressing these factors is imperative in curbing the menace.

In 2022, Obesidemic: Weight of the World, a fascinating documentary that looks at obesity, was released on IMDb. In the 80-minute film, Stockholm-based obesity specialist Dr. Stephan Rossner sought to prove that obesity is a “man-made epidemic”. For one, it’s dubbed as a health “timebomb”.

Consider this: In 2022, more than 1 billion people worldwide were considered obese, broken down as follows — 650 million adults, 340 million adolescents and 39 million children.

World Health Organisation (WHO) data shows being overweight is seen behind 2.8 million deaths each year; a number set to rise.

Obesity is seen overtaking smoking as the leading risk factor for avoidable cancer in several nations. It is known to have negative impacts on blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin resistance, and general quality of life.