The obesity pandemic – the burden on the global healthcare system

Obesity is a real health problem worldwide, due to the alarming increases in recent decades, but also due to the fact that the forecasts are frightening, in the absence of rapid and effective actions. Defined as a chronic disease that associates a chronic inflammatory status, obesity of modern man is based on the unbalanced lifestyle, characterized by an energy consumption significantly higher than the body’s needs, the lack of physical effort in contrast to the time spent in front of electronic devices, the excessive presence of stress, the lack of quantitative and qualitative sleep and, last but not least, the consumption of excessively processed foods, fast food and junk food. According to WHO data, in the absence of rapid and effective interventions, the costs associated with obesity will exceed 4 trillion dollars in 2035, which represents approximately 3% of global GDP, and between 2020 and 2035, an increase in obesity-related expenses of 28% per year is expected, reaching 19.2 billion dollars in 2035. Chronic noncommunicable diseases caused by obesity are multiple and represent an important factor of morbidity and mortality for obese patients. According to studies, cardiovascular pathologies are responsible for over 70% of deaths caused by excess weight. Through this paper, we want to draw attention to the fact that obesity and its associated complications will represent an economic burden on global health in the coming years.