The global economic impact of obesity in 2035 is expected to be comparable to that of COVID-19 in 2020, according to a new report by the World Obesity Federation.

According to its data, half of the world’s population will either be considered overweight or obese by 2035. Even more concerning, childhood obesity rates are on track to double between 2020 and 2035.

The economic impact of obesity is expected to reach $4.32 trillion annually by 2035, the World Obesity Federation said in its yearly atlas release this week.

“This year's Atlas is a clear warning that by failing to address obesity today, we risk serious repercussions in the future. It is particularly worrying to see obesity rates rising fastest among children and adolescents. Governments and policymakers around the world need to do all they can to avoid passing health, social, and economic costs on to the younger generation,” said Louise Baur, president of the World Obesity Federation.

Beth Czerwony, a registered dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic, said convenience is a big factor in rising obesity rates.

“For the kiddos — they aren't able to eat at home or they just certainly don't want to,” she said. "Or perhaps they're working at a fast food restaurant, and it's just easier for them to eat there. So there's a lot of contributing factors to that disease of obesity… When when we have somebody who has a higher BMI, you're more likely, again, to have issues with type two diabetes, heart disease, we know that having obese obesity and having increased fat stores causes more inflammation. So that has been directly correlated with some cancers, as well.”

In the U.S., obesity rates have gradually increased year after year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 33% of American adults were considered obese in 2021. That’s up from 27% in 2011. The CDC also noted jumps in adolescent and childhood obesity in the U.S. from 2011-19.

While obesity has long been a problem in the U.S., it is a growing problem throughout the world, especially in modernizing nations.

"If we do not act now, we are on course to see significant increases in obesity prevalence over the next decade,” said Rachel Jackson Leach, director of science at the World Obesity Federation. “The greatest increases will be seen in low and lower-middle income countries, where scarce resources and lack of preparedness will create a perfect storm that will negatively impact people living with obesity the most."

There's more evidence that the pandemic has contributed to another public health crisis — an increase in the obesity rate.

New federal data shows that 16 states have adult obesity rates of 35% or higher. That's an increase from 12 states in 2019 and just nine states in 2018.

The problem has exploded over the last two decades. In 2000, no state had an adult obesity rate of 25%. Today, there are only a handful of areas where the obesity rate is currently below 25%.

The nonpartisan, non-profit group Trust For America's Health has been tracking the issue.

"It's about the design of our neighborhoods and ensuring that neighborhoods have walkable and bikeable paths, that people have the ability to engage in physical activity or access to parks and community centers and gyms," Trust For America's Health CEO and president Nadine Gracia said.

The group says high obesity rates have a systemic, social, and economic impact on the country — and the pandemic has only made those issues worse.

In communities of color, the obesity rates have an even higher impact.

The new data shows that 22 states had adult obesity rates at 35% or higher among Hispanic residents. For Black Americans, 35 states have obesity rates at 35% or higher.

"We see, for example, higher job loss and greater food insecurity in households of color," Garcia said. "Black and Latino households had greater rates of food insecurity (during the pandemic). Their children were in virtual learning as opposed to in-person learning, with less access to school meals."

The report from Trust For America's Health points to larger policy solutions, like increased funding to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's obesity prevention program. Garcia says that the program currently only has enough money to support 16 states.

"We should close tax loopholes and business incentives for unhealthy food advertising, which disproportionately is directed to youth of color — in particular, Black and Latino youth," Garcia said.

The CDC is now providing community-level data on obesity so it can be addressed on a more local level.