Rigby Neville J, Kumanyika Shiriki, James W Philip T
International Obesity Task Force, London, United Kingdom.
J Public Health Policy. 2004;25(3-4):418-34. doi: 10.1057/palgrave.jphp.3190040.
The growth in the global epidemic of obesity is fundamentally linked to economic factors. The rising prevalence of overweight and obesity has occurred during a period when the real cost of the main components of many processed foods has declined significantly,partly due to state subsidies in the protected markets of Western economies. It is suggested that the vigorous promotion of foods high in fats and sugars, and intensive marketing to children, have aggravated the problems of obesity. The metabolic syndrome, a recent feature of the epidemic, now is a marker for the health impact of obesity both in the US and other countries. The IOTF suggests that global populations will continue to become progressively heavier if present consumption forecasts are sustained, with obesity imposing a burden of social and economic costs that no country, least of all developing countries with limited resources, can afford. Commitments to deliver effective action are needed from non-health sectors such as culture and education, commerce and trade, development,planning, and transport. Only a comprehensive and integrated international approach, based on an effective implementation of the WHO global strategy on diet, physical activity and health, offers any real hope of arresting the public health catastrophe unfolding throughout the world.
全球肥胖症流行的加剧与经济因素有着根本联系。超重和肥胖症患病率的上升发生在许多加工食品主要成分的实际成本大幅下降的时期，部分原因是西方经济体受保护市场中的国家补贴。有人认为，对高脂肪和高糖食品的大力推广以及针对儿童的密集营销加剧了肥胖问题。代谢综合征是该流行病最近出现的一个特征，现在在美国和其他国家都是肥胖对健康影响的一个指标。国际肥胖工作组指出，如果维持目前的消费预测，全球人口将继续逐渐变胖，肥胖症将带来社会和经济成本负担，没有哪个国家，尤其是资源有限的发展中国家能够承受。文化和教育、商业和贸易、发展、规划及交通等非卫生部门需要承诺采取有效行动。只有基于有效实施世界卫生组织关于饮食、身体活动与健康的全球战略采取全面、综合的国际方法，才真正有望阻止全球范围内正在发生的公共卫生灾难。
