According to the Global Burden of Disease report, obesity is a greater global problem than hunger—in fact, it is the leading cause of disabilities worldwide. The report was published in The Lancet (December 13).
Hundreds of researchers from 50 countries contributed to the study, which compared health data from 1990 to 2010, finding "a huge shift in mortality":
"Kids who used to die from infectious disease are now doing extremely well with immunization," Ali Mokdad, co-author of the study and professor of global health at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, told CNN.
"However, the world is now obese and we're seeing the impact of that."
The report adds that since 1970 men and women worldwide have gained slightly more than ten years of life expectancy overall, but they spend more years living with injury and illness.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Health News
June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.