1B+
People living with obesity
In 2022 more than 1 billion people worldwide were living with obesity.
Source: WHO / The Lancet 2024
Weight management
Lasting weight change comes from small daily habits — balanced meals, regular activity and good sleep — not crash diets.
Key facts
1 in 8
adults worldwide live with obesity (WHO)
5–10%
weight loss improves blood pressure and blood sugar
20 min
for your brain to register fullness
7–9 h
sleep helps regulate appetite hormones
How it works
Energy balance
Weight changes when the energy you eat and drink differs from the energy you use over time.
0.5–1 kg / week
Safe pace
Slow, steady loss is easier to keep off than fast loss and protects muscle.
Quality matters
Vegetables, legumes, whole grains and protein keep you full on fewer calories than processed food.
Losing weight
Fill half the plate with vegetables
Lots of volume and fibre for few calories.
Protein at every meal
Eggs, yoghurt, legumes, fish or chicken help control hunger.
Drink water, not sugar
Swap juice and soft drinks for water, tea or coffee without sugar.
Move every day
Aim for 150+ minutes a week plus strength training twice a week.
Healthy weight gain
Eat more often
Three meals plus two or three snacks a day.
Energy-dense, nutritious foods
Nuts, nut butters, olive oil, dates, avocado, whole milk and yoghurt.
Strength training
Helps the extra energy build muscle, not just fat.
Portion control made simple
- Protein: about the size of your palm
- Grains or starch: about one cupped hand
- Vegetables: two open hands
- Fats such as oil or nut butter: about one thumb
- Use a smaller plate and eat slowly — fullness takes around 20 minutes
Myths vs facts
MythFact
Eating at night makes you gain weightTotal daily intake matters more than the clock.
You must cut out all carbsWhole-grain carbs and fruit fit well in a healthy diet.
Skipping meals speeds up weight lossIt often leads to overeating later.
Sweating more burns more fatSweat is water loss, not fat loss.
When to see a doctor
- Unexplained weight loss or gain
- You have diabetes, heart, kidney or thyroid conditions
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding
- You feel your relationship with food is unhealthy
Did you know?
Losing just 5% of your body weight can already improve blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar — you don't need to reach an 'ideal' weight to benefit.
World health facts
All facts2.5B
Adults overweight
43% of adults aged 18+ were overweight in 2022, and 890 million of them had obesity.
Source: WHO 2024
×2
Adult obesity has doubled
Worldwide adult obesity more than doubled between 1990 and 2022.
Source: WHO 2024
×4
Adolescent obesity has quadrupled
Obesity among adolescents aged 5–19 quadrupled from 1990 to 2022.
Source: WHO 2024
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General information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor before big changes, especially if you have a health condition.