Worldwide trends in underweight and obesity from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 3663 population-representative studies with 222 million children, adolescents, and adults

Background Underweight and obesity are associated with adverse health outcomes throughout the life course. We estimated the individual and combined prevalence of underweight or thinness and obesity, and their changes, from 1990 to 2022 for adults and school-aged children and adolescents in 200 countries and territories. Methods We used data from 3663 population-based studies with 222 million participants that measured height and weight in representative samples of the general population. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends in the prevalence of different BMI categories, separately for adults (age ≥20 years) and school-aged children and adolescents (age 5–19 years), from 1990 to 2022 for 200 countries and territories. For adults, we report the individual and combined prevalence of underweight (BMI <18·5 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2). For schoolaged children and adolescents, we report thinness (BMI <2 SD below the median of the WHO growth reference) and obesity (BMI >2 SD above the median). Findings From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity in adults decreased in 11 countries (6%) for women and 17 (9%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 that the observed changes were true decreases. The combined prevalence increased in 162 countries (81%) for women and 140 countries (70%) for men with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. In 2022, the combined prevalence of underweight and obesity was highest in island nations in the Caribbean and Polynesia and Micronesia, and countries in the Middle East and north Africa. Obesity prevalence was higher than underweight with posterior probability of at least 0·80 in 177 countries (89%) for women and 145 (73%) for men in 2022, whereas the converse was true in 16 countries (8%) for women, and 39 (20%) for men. From 1990 to 2022, the combined prevalence of thinness and obesity decreased among girls in five countries (3%) and among boys in 15 countries (8%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80, and increased among girls in 140 countries (70%) and boys in 137 countries (69%) with a posterior probability of at least 0·80. The countries with highest combined prevalence of thinness and obesity in school-aged children and adolescents in 2022 were in Polynesia and Micronesia and the Caribbean for both sexes, and Chile and Qatar for boys. Combined prevalence was also high in some countries in south Asia, such as India and Pakistan, where thinness remained prevalent despite having declined. In 2022, obesity in school-aged children and adolescents was more prevalent than thinness with a posterior probability of at least 0·80 among girls in 133 countries (67%) and boys in 125 countries (63%), whereas the converse was true in 35 countries (18%) and 42 countries (21%), respectively. In almost all countries for both adults and school-aged children and adolescents, the increases in double burden were driven by increases in obesity, and decreases in double burden by declining underweight or thinness. Interpretation The combined burden of underweight and obesity has increased in most countries, driven by an increase in obesity, while underweight and thinness remain prevalent in south Asia and parts of Africa. A healthy nutrition transition that enhances access to nutritious foods is needed to address the remaining burden of underweight while curbing and reversing the increase in obesit

Council Change, Song Approved

From the Rice Thresher Archive, a collection of newspaper articles published in the student newspaper for Rice University. Genre: New

TO APRIL FIRST

From the Rice Thresher Archive, a collection of newspaper articles published in the student newspaper for Rice University. Genre: New

Implementing Service Learning For Accountants: The Not For Profit Project

Experiential learning for accountants most often appears in the tax area, as students take part in the VITA program (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance). The Not For Profit Project described in an ABSEL 2001 paper (Vik and Doran, Experiential Learning for Accountants: The Not for Profit Project) now places some students in an Accounting Communication class in short-term projects with a local community partner. This demonstration will provide useful handouts about organizing such a hands-on project, finding appropriate community partners, assigning a useful reflection component to students, and evaluating the projects when complete. A nationally compiled resource list on community service learning will be available. Not all accounting communication students go out into the community; some teams still write and research their NFP, its fundraiser, related budget, and persuasive proposal, from a distance. This dichotomy will also be discussed, as most community service-learning projects are class-wide rather than having just some teams in the class included

SENATE REPORT

From the Rice Thresher Archive, a collection of newspaper articles published in the student newspaper for Rice University. Genre: New

Distance Learning in Communication: Blended or On-Line? Developing an On-Line Advanced Communication Course

To meet the needs of a growing national and international student body for a Regulatory Affairs program, we developed an on-line advanced communication course. An on-campus version of the course had been offered once or twice a year for at least six years, but many students from other locations were asking to substitute a local communication course, since most of the other courses in the program were now offered on-line. This presentation will discuss the rationale for course development, how we retained important internal controls, and how certain success factors were built into the new course

Experiential Learning on the Job--A Business Internship Program

"San Diego State University has run a business internship program since the early 70’s, placing between 40 and 70 interns with local business for a semester of work experience. Our program is somewhat unusual in that it is entirely student-run and self-financed. These features offer tremendous advantages in allowing an independent program, but as the number of interns and participating businesses grows, we are revising the program somewhat to allow for more orderly and efficient expansion. Since our business internship program has gone through several phases, our experience should offer useful information to other schools having internship programs or wishing to start them.

Giving Accounting Students Writing Experience as Job Preparation

"Most business majors are required to take a written communication course covering memos, letters, and long reports. The current level of student writing skills is low enough that the one semester course can usually do no more than give an overview of business writing style and forms, so advanced courses are frequently offered. One such advanced course is Report Writing for Accountants, which is now required by a number of AACSB accounting schools. Because writing competence is required on the job, schools training accountants have begun requiring extra training in writing skills. As the designer of a new accounting writing course, I will describe the ways in which the writing assignments prepare students for the actual writing experiences they will meet on the job. Because the class writing assignments are actual accounting firm cases and formats, they exemplify a new area of experiential learning.

Using Cases in Business Communication Classes

" The modified case study method promulgated through the Exxon Educational Foundations Guided Design grants under their IMPACT program is a practical way to give business communication students problem-solving experience. The underlying premise of Guided Design, originated by Charles E. Wales, Director of Freshmen Engineering at West Virginia University, and Robert A. Stager, University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, is that students learn more by tackling problems in small groups or individually and by writing subsequent reports than they do by listening to lectures or reading even the best texts and being tested on them.

Simulating Professional Writing Experiences in the Classroom

"A positive new trend has come to academic writing classes - - many schools are emphasizing professional writing skills in an advanced course. A growing number of schools, recognizing that students need thorough training to compete in the job market, are requiring such a course. While merely requiring more writing of any kind would probably help many students, adding writing experiences that correspond to the type of writing that will be done on the job is most helpful. My experience in teaching in professional writing programs in California and Maryland offers some useful ideas on how to design such writing assignments. A positive new trend has come to academic writing classes - - many schools are emphasizing professional writing skills in an advanced course. A growing number of schools, recognizing that students need thorough training to compete in the job market, are requiring such a course. While merely requiring more writing of any kind would probably help many students, adding writing experiences that correspond to the type of writing that will be done on the job is most helpful. My experience in teaching in professional writing programs in California and Maryland offers some useful ideas on how to design such writing assignments. A positive new trend has come to academic writing classes - - many schools are emphasizing professional writing skills in an advanced course. A growing number of schools, recognizing that students need thorough training to compete in the job market, are requiring such a course. While merely requiring more writing of any kind would probably help many students, adding writing experiences that correspond to the type of writing that will be done on the job is most helpful. My experience in teaching in professional writing programs in California and Maryland offers some useful ideas on how to design such writing assignments.