Obesity: health and economic consequences of an impending global challenge, paperback/meera shekar

Obesity is a global ticking time bomb with huge potential negative economic and health impacts, especially for the poor.

As of 2016, an estimated 44 percent of adults (more than two billion) worldwide are overweight or obese, and over 70 percent of them live in low- or middle-income countries, dispelling the myth that obesity is a problem only in high-income countries.

The global obesity epidemic presents a formidable challenge to human capital acquisition, national wealth accumulation, and the goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity.

Given the renewed global focus on human capital, its links to the obesity epidemic, and the growing evidence base for double- and triple-duty actions, there is both an urgent need for action and a great opportunity for engagement that will require both a whole-of-government and a whole-ofdevelopment-partner approach.

Countries and global partners need to act urgently to address this ensuing epidemic, with emphasis on interventions that require corrective public action rather than one of individual responsibility.

About the Author The World Bank came into formal existence in 1945 following the international ratification of the Bretton Woods agreements.

It is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world.

The organizations activities are focused on education, health, agriculture and rural development, environmental protection, establishing and enforcing regulations, infrastructure development, governance and legal institutions development.

The World Bank is made up of two unique development institutions owned by its 185 Member Countries.

The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) focuses on middle income and creditworthy poor countries and the International Development Association (IDA), which focuses on the poorest countries in the world.