Are we heading towards a society of obese people?

Maxime Asseo 5:30 p.m., March 26, 2024

A true global scourge, obesity affects nearly a billion people on the planet, including in France, where 17% of the population is obese. A constantly increasing phenomenon, which may ultimately become the norm.

The observation is unanimous: obesity is increasing all over the world. According to the WHO, since 1975, the number of cases of obesity has almost tripled globally, reaching one billion people in 2022 (The Lancet). France is no exception - 17% in 2020 compared to 8.5% in 1997 (Inserm) - and the forecasts are alarming: in 2030, 25 to 29% of the French population will be obese. So are we ultimately heading towards an obese society? Europe 1 asks the question.

READ ALSO

- Health: obesity and overweight affect nearly one in two French people

“The industrialization of food”

Responsible for nearly 60,000 deaths per year in France, obesity poses a real public health problem estimated at 10.6 billion euros per year. After the observation, how did we get there? “I usually say that obesity began as soon as the first McDonald's was installed,” declares Annick Fontbonne, epidemiologist at Inserm, who does not only point to the fast-food chain as responsible for the growing obesity, but more generally "the adoption of an industrial, Western diet based on ultra-processed products".

Products "depleted in fiber, proteins, vitamins in favor of fat, salt, sugar and additives which have a lasting effect on the body", continues Marion Sarroca, deputy director of the League against Obesity. All boosted by strong marketing pressure, of which young people are the first victims: “The promotion of junk food on social networks, the explosion of Ubereats, certainly play a role in the current obesity epidemic, according to Annick Fontbonne. “If it has more than doubled among adults in 30 years, it has quadrupled among 5-19 year olds.”

READ ALSO

- Health: obesity, a disease that cannot necessarily be cured thanks to restrictive diets

Young people, but also the working classes. “The obesity rate among executives in 2020 is 10% compared to 20% among workers-employees. There is therefore a disparity linked to social class,” notes Cédric Moro, research director at Inserm, from makes ultra-processed food less expensive: “Today it costs more to eat vegetables than a frozen pizza.” A phenomenon increased by the decline in the purchasing power of households "more able to move towards cheaper products". Added to this is the lack of time, “which pushes us to consume more processed dishes,” continues Marion Sarroca, “in a society where a sedentary lifestyle has become widespread.”

Indeed, sitting behind a desk all day is not trivial. “You have to take 5,000 steps a day to not be sedentary and more than 7,500 to be considered active. I only do 2,500 to 3,000 some days. We are far from the mark,” recognizes Cédric Moro who is also worried for the new generations, born with the screen in hand: "In some families, children spend entire weekends in front of screens on the sofa to the detriment of the outdoors and physical activity." Combined with a high-calorie diet, “the chronic imbalance of the energy balance” leads to weight gain over months or even years.

Tomorrow all obese?

The combination of all these factors and long-term forecasts make us fear the worst. “We are following the same evolution as the United States and Canada. If nothing is done, we are heading straight towards a society of obese people,” worries Cédric Moro, without giving up. Part of the solution, according to him, would come from the ecological transition, “which pushes people to favor walking or cycling to the detriment of the car”. An awareness that also involves education about good nutrition: "Treating yourself by going to fast food is not a big deal, on the contrary. On the other hand, you have to keep in mind what a healthy eating. Learn to read labels and know the composition of foods,” suggests Marion Sarroca. “I tell myself that in 10 or 15 years, when a parent gives their child a Coke, we will have the same impression as when they gave them a cigarette 30 years ago,” adds Annick Fontbonne.

READ ALSO

- Health: more than a billion humans affected by obesity, increasingly beyond rich countries

A change in mentality which is also taking place towards people suffering from obesity. “In the collective imagination, a person is obese because they lack willpower, do not play sports and therefore deserve it,” according to Marion Sarroca. A “grossphobic” and counterproductive attitude. People withdraw into themselves, do less physical activity, eat more and enter a vicious circle: “Children stop playing sports because they are made fun of in the playground because of their overweight. And I'm not even talking about social networks, where appearance plays a huge role", illustrates the deputy director for whom obesity must be considered "a chronic illness and not a choice", which must be treated.

More generally, the fight against obesity undeniably requires public policies. Governments are the only ones able to influence the agri-food industry, marketing and mass distribution "since they have, among other things, the means to tax ultra-processed foods", according to Cédric Moro, who takes the example of the nutri-score, “a good measure”. A path strewn with pitfalls, "in the face of pressure from lobbies", but far from insurmountable when the weight that obesity represents in economic matters is highlighted. “If through prevention campaigns we manage to reduce this burden, society will gain billions of euros. An argument that can weigh in the balance in stemming this scourge,” hopes the research director.