Blog
Unveiling the Global Landscape of Adult Obesity: A Deep Dive into Real-World Evidence
Milou Brand, PhD
Mar 11, 2024

Obesity, a pervasive global health challenge, transcends borders, impacting millions with profound consequences on their well-being and quality of life. Its prevalence has been increasing over the past few decades, especially in Asia and Europe. World Health Organization's data from 2016 paints a stark picture, revealing that nearly 2 billion adults were overweight, with 650 million classified as obese. This poses an escalating burden on healthcare systems worldwide, fostering the rise of chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular issues.

Obesity is a complex and multifaceted issue that requires effective and sustainable solutions. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to prevent and treat obesity. Different regions grapple with unique challenges and opportunities, necessitating innovative and sustainable solutions tailored to the specific needs of diverse populations. As new and innovative treatments for obesity become available, there is a need to further understand and generate up to date evidence on the epidemiologic landscape and impact of overweight and obesity in adults.

As we delve into this multi-country analysis, conducted by IQVIA's Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) team, we unearth a treasure trove of insights gleaned from real-world data. This analysis spans seven countries across Europe, the UK, Australia, and Japan, incorporating Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and claims data of roughly 83 million patients, to explore the intricate web of obesity's prevalence, its nuances, and the impact on individuals, societies, and healthcare systems.

Real-World Evidence: Unveiling the Untold Stories

  1. Obesity is a term laden with global significance, yet its definition varies across borders. The World Health Organization (WHO) delineates overweight as a BMI exceeding 25 kg/m2, followed by obesity at a BMI greater than 30 kg/m2. In contrast, in Japan, the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity (JASSO) defines obesity at a BMI exceeding 25 kg/m2. This discrepancy highlights the cultural and regional variations that influence the perception and categorization of obesity. Therefore, we should be careful to apply grouped or pooled analyses, to overgeneralize findings from pooled analyses, and should always take into account the specific cultural and local context that may affect our results.
  2. Drawing from extensive real-world data, our exploration reveals a stark reality – obesity is often not adequately recorded in routine care databases. Only a small fraction of people that had a BMI >25 in the real-world data, had a formal diagnosis of overweight or obesity in their medical records. This means that the impact of overweight/obesity on health outcomes and quality of care may be underestimated in healthcare settings. This raises questions about who is missing from these records – possibly those who do not have comorbidities or those who have less severe comorbidities.
  3. Our research sheds light on the comorbidity burden borne by individuals labelled as overweight or obese. The research found that people with recorded overweight or obesity have a high comorbidity burden, which worsens with higher BMI. More than 60% of adults that were overweight and/or obesity had at least one weight-related comorbidity, indicating that those who are recorded in healthcare databases may have more health problems than those who are not.
  4. Beyond the numbers, our study underscores a critical issue – the under recognition of obesity as a chronic disease demanding continuous care. It suggests the need for more nuanced and comprehensive approaches of how obesity is recorded and managed, considering the different realities of obesity management across different regions and healthcare contexts. There is a need for a careful investigation of how healthcare policies, social factors, and regulatory frameworks affect the accessibility, affordability, and quality of healthcare services for people with overweight/obesity.

In conclusion, as we unravel the layers of obesity's impact on a global scale, our commitment to leveraging real-world evidence grows stronger. Through a nuanced lens, we strive to bridge gaps in understanding, fostering a future where healthcare responses to obesity are as diverse as the individuals it affects.

Related solutions

Contact Us