For Half of Humanity: Four billion reasons we need action on obesity
For Half of Humanity: Four billion reasons we need action on obesity
Obesity is the defining global health equity issue of our time. It affects over 1 billion people today and obesity& overweight will impact over 4 billion people - half of humanity - by 2035 if we fail to act.
Yet despite this scale, obesity remains politically neglected, misunderstood, and underfunded. It’s still too often framed as a matter of personal willpower rather than what it truly is: a chronic disease driving non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and requiring a multisectoral, person-centred response.
Our moment to act
Reducing global rates of obesity and NCDs won’t be about individual willpower—it will be about collective political will to act.
The moment is now. With the UN stepping up to support governments through the WHO Acceleration Plan, and new pharmacological treatments (GLP-1s) being added to the WHO Essential Medicines List, the global policy environment is shifting. As governments and the global health community prepare for the Fourth UN High-Level Meeting (HLM) on NCDs in September, this is our time to put obesity where it belongs: at the centre of the NCD response.
Why obesity must be at the heart of the NCD response
There are four billion reasons - and counting:
- Obesity is a disease. It requires long-term, integrated care across prevention, treatment, and management. That means early diagnosis, sustained support, and a full continuum of evidence-based care - including behavioural, medical, and surgical options.
- Obesity is driving NCDs. It contributes to:
- 43% of type 2 diabetes
- Up to 78% of hypertension
- Over 13 types of cancer
- And worse outcomes in HIV, COVID-19, kidney disease, and maternal and neonatal health
- Obesity undermines development and equity. Without urgent action, the global cost of overweight and obesity will reach nearly 3% of global GDP by 2030, with the greatest burden falling on low- and middle-income countries.
- We know what works. From WHO 'Best Buys' to new pharmacological treatments - soon to be included in the WHO Essential Medicines List - we already have the tools to deliver a double dividend of better health and economic gains.
Calls to action
Ahead of the UN High-level Meeting on NCDs, we’re calling on governments and global health leaders to:
- Recognise obesity as a chronic disease, which is driving other NCDs
- Commit to multisectoral WHO recommendations, including to integrate obesity in primary health care (PHC)
- Accelerate action with people with lived experience at the centre
What you can do
Join the campaign
We're mobilising global voices and sharing resources to empower advocates in our new campaign: "For Half of Humanity: Four Billion Reasons We Need Action on Obesity". The campaign toolkit offers key messages, proof points, calls to action and graphics for engaging stakeholders across sectors.
We invite you - policymakers, healthcare providers, advocates, and communities - to join our collective efforts. Engage online, utilise our campaign toolkit, and amplify our urgent calls for action.
Together, we can place obesity at the heart of global health and development agendas, driving political commitment and delivering real, equitable solutions.
#4BillionReasons – The time to act is now.
Access our campaign
Get involved and find out more by visiting our campaign toolkit.
FOR HALF OF HUMANITY