It is now the most common form of malnutrition in many countries, researchers say

The number of people living with obesity worldwide has surpassed one billion, according to a global analysis.

Research published by the journal The Lancet suggests that as of 2022, around 159 million children and adolescents and 879 million adults are obese.

In the UK, around 16.8 million people are living with obesity – which includes eight million women, 7.4 million men, 760,000 boys and 590,000 girls.

Data showed that globally, obesity rates among children and adolescents quadrupled from 1990 to 2022, while rates among adults more than doubled.

Meanwhile, the study also revealed over the same period, rates of underweight dropped among children and adolescents and more than halved among adults worldwide.

This makes obesity the most common form of malnutrition in many countries, the researchers said.