It is rural populations that contribute significantly to the global increase in the number of overweight and obese people. This is the conclusion of a study by Imperial College London (UK) published in the journal Nature.
A team of scientists from Imperial College London under the supervision of prof. Majid Ezzati analyzed over 2,000 studies from 1985 to 2017, involving 112 million adults from 12 countries around the world. It turned out that in the last 30 years, the BMI (body mass index) increased by an average of 2 kg per m2 for women and 2.2 kg for men. This means that the average person's body weight has increased by 5-6 kg. Research analysis also showed that over 55 percent. the global increase in BMI was related to rural populations.
The data indicates that while in 1985 city residents in over 75 percent of the surveyed countries had a higher BMI than the inhabitants of rural areas, so over the years this difference decreased and even reversed. In some rural areas of the world where low- and middle-income people live, the percentage of overweight people is over 80%.
Scientists suggest that the change in BMI is due to civilization changes. Over the last 30 years, the rural infrastructure has improved, the mechanization of work has increased, and the use of machines and cars has increased. On the one hand, the quality of life of the rural population has improved, and on the other hand, their physical activity has decreased. So the villagers could spend more money on food, but it was usually of poor quality.
The authors of the study say that poorer rural regions once had the problem of quantitative malnutrition, and now qualitative malnutrition. They also urge to introduce solutions that will ensure access to inexpensive, he althy food for both rural and urban residents.
Based on: PAP, www.diabetologia.esculap.com