Today, more than 1 billion people are living with obesity.1 Predictions show that, by 2030, nearly 3 billion adults (around half of the adult population) will be overweight or obese.2
Additionally, childhood obesity is also rising. This is of particular concern, given that excess weight in early life frequently persists into adulthood.
Being overweight and obese are both major risk factors for non-communicable diseases, including type-2 diabetes and heart disease, which is putting global health systems under increasing pressure. Therefore, prioritising prevention from the earliest years and throughout all stages of life has never been more important.
Highlighting the scale of the problem is the focus for this year's World Obesity Day theme, taking place on 4th March, which centres on "8 billion reasons to act on obesity."
While no single industry can tackle this issue alone, the food industry plays a crucial role. Ingredient suppliers such as BENEO, along with manufacturers, share the responsibility of helping consumers manage their weight sustainably.
They can achieve this by developing innovative food and drink concepts that facilitate easier behavioural changes for consumers.
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