BEIJING, Sept. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- An obesity pandemic
threatens to overwhelm health systems around the globe with illnesses such as
diabetes and heart disease, experts at an international conference warned on
Sunday.
"Obesity
is an international scourge," Professor Paul Zimmet, the chairman of the meeting
of more than 2,500 experts and health officials, told delegates in a speech
opening the International Congress on Obesity. "This insidious, creeping
pandemic of obesity is now engulfing the entire world."
"It's as big a threat as global warming and bird
flu," said Zimmet.
According to the World Health Organization, over
1 billion adults are overweight and 300 million of them are obese, putting them
at much higher risk of diabetes, heart problems, high blood pressure, stroke and
some forms of cancer.
Among the most worrying problems are skyrocketing
rates of obesity among children, which make them much more prone to chronic
diseases as they grow older and could shave years off their lives, experts
said.
The children in this generation may be the first in
history to die before their parents because of health problems related to
weight, Kate Steinbeck, an expert in children's health at Sydney's Royal Prince
Alfred Hospital, said in a statement.
Experts at the conference said governments should
impose bans on junk food advertising aimed directly at children, although they
acknowledged such restrictions were unlikely to come about soon because the food
industry would lobby hard against them. Enditem
(Agencies)
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An over weight woman walks along a popular tourist
spot in Sydney, Australia, Sept. 4, 2006. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)
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