Obesity rise plateaus in developed nations and accelerates in developing nations
1
Issued Date
2026-05-14
Resource Type
ISSN
00280836
eISSN
14764687
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105039231967
Pubmed ID
42129527
Journal Title
Nature
Volume
653
Issue
8114
Start Page
510
End Page
518
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Nature Vol.653 No.8114 (2026) , 510-518
Suggested Citation
Ezzati M., Zuziak M., Zuñiga Cisneros J., Zocalo Y., Zitt E., Zins M., Zimmet P., Zollner-Kiechl S., Zhukov O.F., Zhu D., Zhou M., Zholdin B., Zheng W., Zhecheva Y.V., Zhao W., Zhao M.H., Zhao D., Zhang Z.Y., Zhang L., Zhang B., Zentai A., Zeng Y., Zeljkovic Vrkic T., Zeleke G., Zejglicova K., Żegleń M., Zdrojewski T., Zayed A.A., Zaw K.K., Zatoński T., Zapata M.E., Zamrazilová H., Zampelas A., Zambon S., Zamani F., Zainuddin A.A., Zafiropulos V., Zaccagni L., Yusoff A.F., Yusof S.M., Yu Y., Yu Y.L., You Q.S., Yotov Y., Yoshihara A., Yoosefi M., Yogal C.M., Yngve A., Yiallouros P.K., Yépez García M., Yeh C.Y., Yardim N., Yang Y., Yang X., Yang L., Yan W., Yan L.D., Yan L., Yamborisut U., Yaacob N.A., Xue C.C., Xu L., Xu H., Wyszyńska J., Wu S., Wu L.J., Wu J., Wu H.Y., Wu F.C., Woźniak A.E., Woodward M., Wong J.E., Wong E.B., Wong A., Wong-McClure R.A., Wolf K., Woldeyohannes M., Wojtyniak B., Wiśniowska-Szurlej A., Wirth J.P., Wilsgaard T., Williams J., Willeit P., Willeit K., Willeit J., Wilks R.J., Wild P.S., Wijemunige N., Więcek A., Widyahening I.S., Widhalm K., Wickramasinghe K., Wichstrøm L., Whincup P.H., Westbury L.D., Werner B., Weres A., Wei W., Wei L., Weghuber D. Obesity rise plateaus in developed nations and accelerates in developing nations. Nature Vol.653 No.8114 (2026) , 510-518. 518. doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10383-0 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/117066
Title
Obesity rise plateaus in developed nations and accelerates in developing nations
Author(s)
Ezzati M.
Zuziak M.
Zuñiga Cisneros J.
Zocalo Y.
Zitt E.
Zins M.
Zimmet P.
Zollner-Kiechl S.
Zhukov O.F.
Zhu D.
Zhou M.
Zholdin B.
Zheng W.
Zhecheva Y.V.
Zhao W.
Zhao M.H.
Zhao D.
Zhang Z.Y.
Zhang L.
Zhang B.
Zentai A.
Zeng Y.
Zeljkovic Vrkic T.
Zeleke G.
Zejglicova K.
Żegleń M.
Zdrojewski T.
Zayed A.A.
Zaw K.K.
Zatoński T.
Zapata M.E.
Zamrazilová H.
Zampelas A.
Zambon S.
Zamani F.
Zainuddin A.A.
Zafiropulos V.
Zaccagni L.
Yusoff A.F.
Yusof S.M.
Yu Y.
Yu Y.L.
You Q.S.
Yotov Y.
Yoshihara A.
Yoosefi M.
Yogal C.M.
Yngve A.
Yiallouros P.K.
Yépez García M.
Yeh C.Y.
Yardim N.
Yang Y.
Yang X.
Yang L.
Yan W.
Yan L.D.
Yan L.
Yamborisut U.
Yaacob N.A.
Xue C.C.
Xu L.
Xu H.
Wyszyńska J.
Wu S.
Wu L.J.
Wu J.
Wu H.Y.
Wu F.C.
Woźniak A.E.
Woodward M.
Wong J.E.
Wong E.B.
Wong A.
Wong-McClure R.A.
Wolf K.
Woldeyohannes M.
Wojtyniak B.
Wiśniowska-Szurlej A.
Wirth J.P.
Wilsgaard T.
Williams J.
Willeit P.
Willeit K.
Willeit J.
Wilks R.J.
Wild P.S.
Wijemunige N.
Więcek A.
Widyahening I.S.
Widhalm K.
Wickramasinghe K.
Wichstrøm L.
Whincup P.H.
Westbury L.D.
Werner B.
Weres A.
Wei W.
Wei L.
Weghuber D.
Zuziak M.
Zuñiga Cisneros J.
Zocalo Y.
Zitt E.
Zins M.
Zimmet P.
Zollner-Kiechl S.
Zhukov O.F.
Zhu D.
Zhou M.
Zholdin B.
Zheng W.
Zhecheva Y.V.
Zhao W.
Zhao M.H.
Zhao D.
Zhang Z.Y.
Zhang L.
Zhang B.
Zentai A.
Zeng Y.
Zeljkovic Vrkic T.
Zeleke G.
Zejglicova K.
Żegleń M.
Zdrojewski T.
Zayed A.A.
Zaw K.K.
Zatoński T.
Zapata M.E.
Zamrazilová H.
Zampelas A.
Zambon S.
Zamani F.
Zainuddin A.A.
Zafiropulos V.
Zaccagni L.
Yusoff A.F.
Yusof S.M.
Yu Y.
Yu Y.L.
You Q.S.
Yotov Y.
Yoshihara A.
Yoosefi M.
Yogal C.M.
Yngve A.
Yiallouros P.K.
Yépez García M.
Yeh C.Y.
Yardim N.
Yang Y.
Yang X.
Yang L.
Yan W.
Yan L.D.
Yan L.
Yamborisut U.
Yaacob N.A.
Xue C.C.
Xu L.
Xu H.
Wyszyńska J.
Wu S.
Wu L.J.
Wu J.
Wu H.Y.
Wu F.C.
Woźniak A.E.
Woodward M.
Wong J.E.
Wong E.B.
Wong A.
Wong-McClure R.A.
Wolf K.
Woldeyohannes M.
Wojtyniak B.
Wiśniowska-Szurlej A.
Wirth J.P.
Wilsgaard T.
Williams J.
Willeit P.
Willeit K.
Willeit J.
Wilks R.J.
Wild P.S.
Wijemunige N.
Więcek A.
Widyahening I.S.
Widhalm K.
Wickramasinghe K.
Wichstrøm L.
Whincup P.H.
Westbury L.D.
Werner B.
Weres A.
Wei W.
Wei L.
Weghuber D.
Author's Affiliation
University of Oxford
Inserm
University College London
Imperial College London
Peking University
The University of Manchester
KU Leuven
Monash University
UNSW Sydney
Karolinska Institutet
Università degli Studi di Padova
Uppsala Universitet
Duke University
University of Southampton
Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet
Weill Cornell Medicine
Capital Medical University
Vanderbilt University
Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China
Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Medizinische Universität Wien
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Mahidol University
The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
University of Ferrara
Universitas Indonesia
UiT Norges Arktiske Universitet
Organisation Mondiale de la Santé
Helmholtz Center Munich German Research Center for Environmental Health
Iran University of Medical Sciences
Medizinische Universitat Innsbruck
St George’s, University of London
Niigata University
The University of Jordan
Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Wroclaw Medical University
Slaski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
Universidad de la Republica
Gdanski Uniwersytet Medyczny
University of Ghana
University of Cyprus
Peking University First Hospital
Örebro Universitet
KBC Zagreb
Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University
University of Rzeszów
Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus
Paracelsus Medizinische Privatuniversitat
The University of the West Indies Mona Campus
Agricultural University of Athens
Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University
Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Singapore Eye Research Institute
Children’s Hospital of Fudan University
T.C. Sağlık Bakanlığı,
International Medical University
Hellenic Mediterranean University
Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia
Université Sorbonne Paris Cité
South China Institute Of Environmental Sciences
National Medicines Institute, Warsaw
National Institute of Public Health Prague
Medical University-Varna
Africa Health Research Institute
Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology
Ethiopian Public Health Institute
Institute of Endocrinology
Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center
West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University
Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social
Inner Mongolia Medical University
Agency for Preventive and Social Medicine
Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud
Centro de Estudios Sobre Nutrición Infantil “Dr. Alejandro O`Donnell”
Institute for Health Policy
Ministry of Health and Welfare
National Center for Public Health and Pharmacy
Kailuan General Hospital
SHANGHAI EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD.
GroundWork
University of Public Health
Institute of Correctional Pedagogy
Przedszkole No. 81
University of Physical Culture in Kraków
Mingsii Co. Ltd
Inserm
University College London
Imperial College London
Peking University
The University of Manchester
KU Leuven
Monash University
UNSW Sydney
Karolinska Institutet
Università degli Studi di Padova
Uppsala Universitet
Duke University
University of Southampton
Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet
Weill Cornell Medicine
Capital Medical University
Vanderbilt University
Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China
Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Medizinische Universität Wien
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Mahidol University
The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
University of Ferrara
Universitas Indonesia
UiT Norges Arktiske Universitet
Organisation Mondiale de la Santé
Helmholtz Center Munich German Research Center for Environmental Health
Iran University of Medical Sciences
Medizinische Universitat Innsbruck
St George’s, University of London
Niigata University
The University of Jordan
Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Wroclaw Medical University
Slaski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
Universidad de la Republica
Gdanski Uniwersytet Medyczny
University of Ghana
University of Cyprus
Peking University First Hospital
Örebro Universitet
KBC Zagreb
Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University
University of Rzeszów
Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus
Paracelsus Medizinische Privatuniversitat
The University of the West Indies Mona Campus
Agricultural University of Athens
Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University
Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Singapore Eye Research Institute
Children’s Hospital of Fudan University
T.C. Sağlık Bakanlığı,
International Medical University
Hellenic Mediterranean University
Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia
Université Sorbonne Paris Cité
South China Institute Of Environmental Sciences
National Medicines Institute, Warsaw
National Institute of Public Health Prague
Medical University-Varna
Africa Health Research Institute
Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology
Ethiopian Public Health Institute
Institute of Endocrinology
Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center
West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University
Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social
Inner Mongolia Medical University
Agency for Preventive and Social Medicine
Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud
Centro de Estudios Sobre Nutrición Infantil “Dr. Alejandro O`Donnell”
Institute for Health Policy
Ministry of Health and Welfare
National Center for Public Health and Pharmacy
Kailuan General Hospital
SHANGHAI EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD.
GroundWork
University of Public Health
Institute of Correctional Pedagogy
Przedszkole No. 81
University of Physical Culture in Kraków
Mingsii Co. Ltd
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Global reporting of obesity is commonly based on comparisons over multiple decades<sup>1</sup> and lacks a granular and systematic analysis of its dynamics. We used 4,050 population-based studies with measured height and weight data on 232 million participants to assess the worldwide dynamics of obesity from 1980 to 2024. The rise in obesity decelerated in school-aged children and adolescents throughout the 1990s in many high-income countries, and subsequently plateaued in most at age-standardized prevalences spanning 20 percentage points, from 3–4% for girls in Japan, Denmark and France to 23% for boys in the USA. There were indications of a small decline in obesity in children and adolescents in some high-income western countries (for example, Italy, Portugal and France) since the 2000s. Similar trends were seen in some countries in Central and Eastern Europe. In adults, the rise in obesity slowed down in high-income western countries about a decade after children, followed by a plateau or possibly a small reversal of the rise in some countries (for example, Spain). In most low-income and middle-income countries, the annual absolute change in prevalence has remained stable or increased over time, even though prevalence has surpassed that of high-income countries. These highly varied dynamics suggest that the social, economic and technological trends that influence the availability, affordability and use of different foods may have helped control the rise in obesity in high-income countries, but require policy interventions in low-income and middle-income countries.