Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Confronting the epidemic: the need for global solutions.

Neville J Rigby1, Shiriki Kumanyika, W Philip T James

  • 1International Obesity Task Force, London, United Kingdom. Neville.Rigby@iotf.org

Journal of Public Health Policy
|February 3, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Global obesity rates are rising due to economic factors like cheaper processed foods and aggressive marketing. Addressing this public health crisis requires integrated action beyond healthcare sectors.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Assessing Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Activities in the Denver, Colorado, Metropolitan Area: Building on an Existing Network to Enhance Emphasis on Equity.

American journal of public health·2026
Same author

Increasing the Potential Effectiveness of Universal School Meals through Community- Engaged Implementation Mapping: A Qualitative Case Study.

Research square·2026
Same author

Identifying Synergistic Mechanisms of Community-Led Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change for Childhood Obesity Prevention in the Multi-Site Catalyzing Communities Initiative.

Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine·2026
Same author

Advancing Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change Research to Reverse Upward Trends in Obesity Prevalence-A New Call to Action.

American journal of preventive medicine·2025
Same author

Using implementation mapping to optimize the impact of Universal School meals: a type III hybrid implementation-effectiveness study protocol.

Implementation science communications·2025
Same author

Systems science methods reveal and address links between discrimination and health disparities in US food systems.

Nature food·2025

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Health Economics

Background:

  • The global obesity epidemic is escalating, driven by economic shifts.
  • Declining costs of processed foods, partly due to subsidies, correlate with rising overweight and obesity rates.
  • Intensive marketing of high-fat, high-sugar foods, particularly to children, exacerbates the problem.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the economic drivers of the global obesity epidemic.
  • To highlight the health and economic consequences of increasing obesity rates.
  • To advocate for a comprehensive, multi-sectoral approach to combatting obesity.

Main Methods:

  • This study is based on a review of economic factors influencing food consumption and obesity trends.
  • Analysis of the correlation between food costs, marketing strategies, and population weight gain.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Examination of the societal and economic burden of obesity, including the metabolic syndrome.

    • Main Results:

    • Economic factors, including subsidized processed foods and targeted marketing, are primary drivers of obesity.
    • Obesity and associated conditions like metabolic syndrome pose significant health and economic challenges globally.
    • Projected sustained consumption patterns indicate continued increases in global obesity.

    Conclusions:

    • Urgent, integrated action across non-health sectors (culture, education, commerce, transport) is essential.
    • A comprehensive international strategy, implementing the WHO guidelines on diet and physical activity, is crucial.
    • Failure to act will result in an unaffordable public health catastrophe, especially for developing nations.