Global Obesity Trends and Implications for Primary Care

Forty years of data (1976–2016) show sustained, substantial rises in adult obesity prevalence across 195 countries, with screening and counseling demand in primary care set to increase.

According to the analysis of data from the WHO and GBD, the Americas and Europe experienced the largest absolute increases, with adult prevalence exceeding roughly 20% by 2016. That pattern signals increased clinic burden, differential primary care workload and referral demand in those regions.

Sex-disaggregated estimates indicate female obesity rates rose more than male rates in most regions, widening a persistent gender gap and shifting cardiometabolic risk profiles.