The global burden of disease attributable to high body mass index in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021 with projections to 2050: An analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Aims

Understanding the global burden of disease attributable to high body mass index (BMI) is essential for informing public health strategies and interventions to mitigate the impact of obesity-related conditions.

Methods and results

The global deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) caused by high BMI were examined based on age, sex, year, and geographical location as well as socio-demographic index. Globally in 2021, the deaths and DALYs attributable to high BMI have risen 2.54-fold and 2.68-fold for both sexes when compared to 1990. The number of global deaths linked to high BMI has risen for females from 828 147.16 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 407 103.20–1 302 480.38) in 1990 to 2 013 089.03 (95% UI 979 000.37–3 076 044.71) in 2021, and for males from 631 386.07 (95% UI 315 452.97–988 213.75) in 1990 to 1 695 974.32 (95% UI 861 972.49–2 635 343.31) in 2021. The number of DALYs related to high BMI worldwide has risen for females from 26 097 463.34 (95% UI 11 042 501.33–42 206 794.07) in 1990 to 67 213 785.86 (95% UI 28 417 735.35–105 552 568.89) in 2021, and for males from 21 944 645.99 (95% UI 10 106 039.21–35 110 379.12) in 1990 to 61 306 297.23 (95% UI 27 566 755.49–94 931 874.52) in 2021. However, the age-standardized rate of high-BMI-related deaths for females increased by 4.06% and 15.06% for males between 1990 and 2021, while the age-standardized rate of high-BMI-related DALYs increased by 21.60% for females and 31.22% for males. Across the 21 Global Burden of Disease regions, in 2021, the highest age-standardized rates of high-BMI-related deaths and DALYs were observed in Southern Sub-Saharan Africa (125.12, 95% UI 71.21–183.13) and Oceania (3712.97, 95% UI 1666.49–5765.84), respectively.

Conclusion

Efforts to promote healthy weight management, lifestyle modifications, and early intervention for obesity-related health complications are essential in reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with obesity and improving overall population health.