The latest study from The Lancet on worldwide trends in underweight and obesity highlights a significant shift in global nutrition trends from 1990 to 2022. By analysing data from 3,663 studies involving 222 million participants across 200 countries, researchers have provided a comprehensive look at the state of global nutrition.
Key findings:
1. Rising Obesity Rates: In most countries, obesity has become more prevalent than underweight, especially among children and adolescents. In fact, obesity now dominates in 67% of countries for girls and 63% for boys.
2. Decreasing Underweight Rates: Globally, the percentage of underweight individuals has decreased:
- Girls: From 10.3% in 1990 to 8.2% in 2022
- Boys: From 16.7% in 1990 to 10.8% in 2022
3. Regional Differences:
- Increases in prevalence of Obesity: Largest in countries including South Africa and China.
- Stable or Decreasing Trends: Central Asia, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa have seen declines or stable low rates in both obesity and thinness.
- Persistent Underweight: Countries including Timor-Leste, Burkina Faso, Bangladesh, and Nepal still face significant challenges with underweight populations.
4. Economic and Pandemic Drivers:
- Economic changes and increased access to processed foods have contributed to rising obesity rates.
- The COVID-19 pandemic has likely worsened food security, though its specific effects on thinness and obesity remain unclear.
Implications:
The study underscores the urgent need for balanced policies that address both obesity and underweight. Here's what we need to focus on:
- Promote Healthy Eating Habits: Encourage nutritious eating to combat rising obesity rates.
- Improve Food Access: Make nutritious food accessible and affordable to address underweight issues without prompting increases in obesity.
- Implement Effective Policies: Develop policies to manage obesity rates such as regulating unhealthy food marketing as seen in the UK, taxing sugar, such as in the UK, Mexico and South Africa, and supporting food security.
While the decrease in underweight individuals is a positive trend, the sharp rise in obesity presents a different set of challenges. This study highlights the urgency with which the global community must work together to implement strategies that tackle both ends of the nutritional spectrum.
The US Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provide Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and ICD-10 reimbursement codes for identifying and treating obesity.
- CPT codes 99453 and 99454 - Remote physiologic monitoring treatment management services
- ICD-10 codes: E66.9: Obesity, unspecified, E66.1: Morbid obesity, E66.2: Overweight
Artificial intelligence-powered obesity management tools: AHI has identified the above CPT codes and ICD-10 code E66.9 for obesity as being relevant when using AI-powered tools to identify patients with or at risk of obesity. Additionally, the codes can be used for AI-powered remote monitoring and identification of obesity, including services such as:
- AI-driven analysis of patient data
- Automated identification of obesity risk factors
- Personalised recommendations for obesity prevention or treatment
AHI has developed BodyScan technology for use via an individual's mobile phone, enabling easy and convenient access to body composition and dimensioning measures and assessment of the associated health risks. To expand the reach of this innovative tool, AHI will pursue reimbursement approval from the Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) under the US Affordable Care Act (ACA) using ICD-10 codes E66.9, E66.1, and E66.2.
AHI’s BodyScan has been extensively validated and published for its accuracy and capabilities in assessing body dimensions and composition. It provides a comprehensive picture of body health by leveraging AHI’s proprietary AI-powered assessment and machine learning algorithms. These algorithms were developed using a vast database of DEXA machine data built from global studies and account for variables including age, gender, and ethnicity. By securing reimbursement approval, AHI aims to make its cutting-edge technology a standard tool in the fight against obesity and related health issues, aligning with the global efforts to address the rising obesity rates highlighted in The Lancet study.
