Video – A billion obese people: why the French are doing (slightly) better than others

Obesity now affects over a billion people worldwide.

Not all countries are equal in dealing with this crisis, and France is doing a little better than others.

TF1’s 8 pm wondered why the French weighed a little less on the scales.

The figure is cause for concern: there are one billion obese people in the world today, including children and adolescents, according to a large WHO study published in the British Medical Journal. The Lancet On the eve of World Obesity Day on 4 March.

This “epidemic” progress has been made “Faster than expected”, noted Professor Francesco Branca, director of the “Nutrition for Health and Development” department, during a press conference. Indeed, crossing the relevant one billion people threshold was initially envisaged around 2030.

Increase the physical activity of the French

Based on data from about 220 million people in more than 190 countries, this work suggests that about 880 million adults were living with obesity in 2022 (504 million women and 374 million men). In 1990, there were only 195 million. Since 1990, obesity rates have practically tripled among men (4.8% in 1990 to 14% in 2022) and more than doubled among women (8.8% to 18.5%), with disparities between countries.

And France is almost a good student because about sixteen out of a hundred adult French men are affected by obesity. In Poland, it is thirty men out of a hundred, and in the United States, over forty. This “good performance” doesn’t stop there. Over the past 30 years, obesity in men has stabilized, and in women, it has even decreased by 2%.

Less salt in bread

French interest in gastronomy will paradoxically contribute to the fight against obesity. As we can see in the TF1 news video at the top of this article, for example, more and more young people want to learn how to eat healthily by participating in cooking classes. Registrations have increased by 25% in the last two years. “It’s fun and it’s important for your health. It’s also fun to be able to use fresh produce.”

Underlines a young girl.

It is also the result of years of public policies, particularly seen in television spots since 2007. But not only that. “A telling example, It’s bread. It has been recommended by the WHO that the world’s population consumes too much salt with health implications. The Ministry of Health reduced the amount of salt in bread and so the bakers complied. The French population also follows. And the taste is the same.” Smit Faiza Bossi, General Practitioner and Nutritionist.

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Another explanation is that in the canteen, children eat better. Since 2011, several laws have come in to regulate the content of their plates. “We need to limit a certain number of products, such as fatty products and sugary products. We also need to limit the quality of certain products,”

Summarizes Pauline Appin, responsible for mass catering in Vélizy (Yvelines). For example, from organic food, AOP or sustainable fishing. To reduce obesity, however, it will be necessary to go further and increase the physical activity of the French, which according to health authorities is still insufficient.