Who’s Winning The Fight Against Obesity? A Look At Countries Where Rates Are Falling

Last Updated:May 13, 2026, 23:26 IST

A study by Imperial College London showed that obesity rates have somewhat plateaued or started declining in some European countries.

Obesity has become a global concern, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) repeatedly warning that it is becoming a major public health crisis worldwide, driven by sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy diets and reduced physical activity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also warned Indians against the dangers of obesity.

According to the WHO, obesity has expanded globally as countries have experienced greater food security, socioeconomic development, and shifts in diet, physical activity, and societal and individual behaviour driven by industrialised food systems.

A study by Imperial College London, reported by The Guardian, found that the prevalence of obesity increased in almost all European and high-income countries over the 45-year period, according to The Guardian. However, obesity rates have somewhat plateaued or started declining in some countries.

Where Are Obesity Rates Declining?

United States: The US occupies the top spot with 43% of women considered obese from 1980 to 2024, as compared to 40% men in the same period. However, the rate of growth has slowed in adults in the US, as per the study.

United Kingdom: The UK is also among the countries with the highest obesity rates – recording an increase of 30% in women and 27% in men. However, obesity in adults has slowed in the UK, while that in children has plateaued.

Finland: Obesity has been increasing steadily in Finland, with a 24% growth from 1980 in young men and 25% in women, as per the

Norway: At least 20% women in Norway are considered obese, compared to 22% of men.

Germany: The obesity rates in Germany are somewhere around 20% in both men and women.

Sweden: This country has recorded a 17% increase in obesity in women and 19% in men.

Italy: The obesity rate among women has actually declined by 14% in Italy, while it has increased by 15% in men.

Spain: The obesity rate among Spanish women has decreased by 13% from 1980, while it has increased by 18% in men.

Where Does India Stand?

According to a recent study by the Indian Journal of Community Medicine, around 7% of children in India are obese. Scientists from the ICMR-National Institute of Traditional Medicine, as well as researchers from India and the UK, also reported that Central India had the lowest obesity rate w 5.63%, while Northern India had the highest rate at 8.58%.

India is also now ranked as the third most obese country in the world, after the US and China. National data, including from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4, 2015-16), shows that obesity levels in India have been steadily rising over the last decade.

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