Obesity, a major risk factor for diabetes and other ills, targeted by study

Waistlines are expanding at such an alarming rate across the globe that, if trends hold, almost 58 percent of the world's population will be overweight or obese by 2030, according to researchers at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

Epidemiologic studies indicate that obesity and being overweight are important risk factors for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and premature death, according to Dr. Jiang He, the Joseph S. Copes Chair and Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine at Tulane. Almost one-third of the world is already considered overweight or obese, according the Tulane team in "Global Burden of Obesity in 2005 and Projections to 2030," published in the International Journal of Obesity (published online on July 8, 2008).

These alarming global results highlight the urgent need for the World Health Organization and governments to support programs that target maintaining a healthy weight, says He.