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Obesity rising in nations rich and poor, especially in kids

Obesity rising in nations rich and poor, especially in kids | iNFOnews.ca
FILE - In this Thursday, July 24, 2008 file photo, obese patients wash their plates after lunch at the Aimin Fat Reduction Hospital in Tianjin, China. The hospital uses a combination of diet, exercise and traditional Chinese acupuncture to treat rising obesity rates. Research released Monday, June 12, 2017 found the obesity epidemic is getting worse in most parts of the world, according to data between 1980 and 2015. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

NEW YORK – The world's weight problem is growing in countries rich and poor, and in many of them obesity is increasing faster in children than adults.

The research found obesity has tripled in youth and young adults in countries like China, Brazil and Indonesia. That suggests future increases in diabetes and other health problems in much of the world.

Similar studies by the same researchers have shown obesity is increasing, but their new work offers startling new numbers about children.

The researchers estimated more than 107 million children and 603 million adults can be counted are obese. Together, that's about 10 per cent of the world's population.

The New England Journal of Medicine published the report online Monday.

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Marshall Jones

News is best when it's local, relevant, timely and interesting. That's our focus every day.

We are on the ground in Penticton, Vernon, Kelowna and Kamloops to bring you the stories that matter most.

Marshall may call West Kelowna home, but after 16 years in local news and 14 in the Okanagan, he knows better than to tell readers in other communities what is "news' to them. He relies on resident reporters to reflect their own community priorities and needs. As the newsroom leader, his job is making those reporters better, ensuring accuracy, fairness and meeting the highest standards of journalism.

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