About 2 billion people worldwide are currently obese and experts warn that the number of people with obesity will continue to rise unless government action is taken.
A new report from the World Obesity Federation shows that if the current trend continues, 2.7 billion adults worldwide will become overweight by 2025, an increase of 4 percent from 2014 figures.
The rise in obesity rate would mean that from 13 percent, 17 percent of the world's population will suffer from weight-related problems come 2025 and this will likely set off an increase in the incidence of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other obesity-related conditions.
Concerns over the health implication of the obesity epidemic has led to a U.N. summit in 2011, which commissioned the World Health Organization to set targets in order to address the alarming rate of weight gain across the planet.
The goal set forth by the United Nations was no increase in obesity and diabetes beyond 2010 levels but the soaring number of people who become obese or overweight means the goal will not likely be met.
Experts said the increasing prevalence of obesity can be attributed to the spread of Westernized diet worldwide as a result of aggressive marketing by the food industry.
The Western diet is typically marked by high intake of fat, salt and sugar as well as low consumption of fiber, which altogether is known to contribute to weight gain and increase risks for a range of health conditions such as heart disease and high blood pressure.
Sedentary lifestyles and the increasing number of people living in urbanized areas are also being seen as crucial factors.
"Common risk factors such as soft drink consumption and sedentary working environments, have increased, fast food advertising continues and greater numbers of people live in urban environments without access to green spaces," said World Obesity Federation Director of Policy Tim Lobstein.
"Governments have accepted the need for regulatory measures such as market controls, taxes and subsidies, setting standards for catering services and investment in healthy schools - but few governments are implementing these measures."
Lobstein urged governments to take action with measures that include introducing regulations that would protect children from unhealthy food marketing, ensuring that schools promote healthy eating, encouraging workplaces to provide and promote physical activities and healthy food choices, and introducing subsidies and taxes that would make unhealthy food more expensive and healthier food cheaper.
