World leaders have been asked to act swiftly to prevent the rise in obesity, particularly among children.
Factors contributing to obesity include trends in dietary preferences towards more highly processed foods, greater levels of sedentary behavior, weaker policies to control food supply and marketing, and less well-resourced healthcare services to assist in weight management and health education.
Latest report from the World Obesity Federation predicts that more than half of the global population will be classed as obese or overweight by 2035.
The report says more than four billion people will be affected, and rates are rising, particularly among children. It says almost all the countries expected to see the greatest increases are low or middle-income countries in Africa and Asia.
The Federation is worried that the financial cost of obesity will amount to four trillion dollars annually by 2035.