Introduction: The global health impacts of escalating obesity burden on young adults remain insufficiently understood. We conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the disease burden attributable to high body mass index (BMI) in young adults from 1990 to 2050.
Methods: Based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, we analyzed deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to high BMI in young adults aged 20-44 years globally and by age, sex, year, location, and disease, between 1990 and 2019. Future projections until 2050 were further assessed.
Results: The global burden due to high BMI in young adults more than doubled during 1990-2019, reaching 24,510 (20,192-28,966) thousand DALYs and 322 (258-384) thousand deaths in 2019. Males had higher burden and faster increase than females. In 2019, middle Socio-demographic Index (SDI) regions had the highest age-standardized rates of deaths and DALYs, while low-middle SDI regions witnessed the largest rise. Significant variations across different countries were observed (Figure 1). Nearly 25% of the DALYs were attributed to diabetes and kidney diseases, which showed the fastest increase. By 2050, the age-standardized DALY rate attributable to high BMI tripled that in 1990.
Conclusion: Targeted weight management interventions in young adults are urgently needed to fight against the soaring disease burden caused by high BMI.
J. Wang: None. Y. Huang: None. V.W. Zhong: None.
