Asia-Pacific’s child obesity emergency

The number of obese children under five jumped 38 per cent between 2000 and 2016. In spite of malnutrition, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand are among the most overweight countries. The causes are economic growth, increased consumption and a sedentary lifestyle. Overweight or obese citizens cost the region US$ 166 billion a year.

Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Obesity rates among children in Asia-Pacific are rising at a rapid rate, and more action is needed to encourage healthier lifestyles and ease pressure on fledgling healthcare systems.

The region’s overweight children under five rose 38 per cent between 2000 and 2016, a problem that is getting worse, said Sridhar Dharmapuri, a food safety and nutrition officer at the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Bangkok.

Worldwide, adult obesity rates are highest in the United States, Mexico, New Zealand and Hungary, and lowest in Japan and South Korea, this according to the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

But the rapid rise in obesity among young people in Asia-Pacific is worrying because overweight children are at a higher risk of becoming obese as adults and then developing serious health problems like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and liver disease.

Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand are among the most overweight countries in Southeast Asia, whilst Samoa, Tonga and Nauru are the most overweight in the Pacific.

A recent report by the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) found that overweight or obese citizens cost the Asia-Pacific region US$ 166 billion a year.

Rising wealth over the last 20 years has played a major role in the rise in obesity levels, researchers say.

"The region has undergone economic growth, so food has become available at a relatively cheaper price," said Matthias Helble, an economist at the ADBI in Tokyo who has researched obesity levels in the region for three years.

In addition to consuming more, economic growth has pushed people in Asia-Pacific away from farming into manufacturing, and then to service sector jobs – which are more sedentary.

Cities in Asia-Pacific have also seen unprecedented growth over the last two decades; this year more than half the region's population will for the first time be urban, the United Nations has estimated.

City-dwellers in Asia-Pacific can spend hours commuting – due to poor transport systems and infrastructure – and when they finally get home they have little time to cook. Many opt to eat out.

This new lifestyle has caused a rise in the consumption of convenience and processed foods, which often contain excess fats and too much salt and sugar.

People in the region struggle to maintain a balanced diet, said Dharmapuri, with meals often lacking vegetables.

"The diet is largely rice-based," he said. "On anybody's plate, rice takes up between 50-70 per cent of the space."

Fixing the problem will likely take years, experts say, and will require a joint effort by business and governments.

Sugar taxes, which have been introduced or are being discussed in the Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia, are also one way to change people's mindset.

The "obesity time bomb" will be discussed by the 46 governments attending the FAO conference for Asia and the Pacific, which starts in Fiji on Monday.