Latest news with #EmmanuelaGakidou
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
1 in 5 women and 1 in 7 men worldwide experience sexual violence in childhood
Nearly one in five women and one in seven men worldwide experienced sexual violence before they turned 18, a new global analysis shows. Rates of sexual violence during childhood were highest in South Asia for women and in sub-Saharan Africa for men – but no region has been spared from the 'pervasive health and human rights issue,' according to the research published on Thursday in The Lancet medical journal. People who survive sexual violence in their youth are at higher risk of health issues later in life, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and chronic conditions, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Related Warnings issued as rising amount of child sexual abuse material hosted on websites in EU countries The study, which included data from 204 countries, is one of the most comprehensive assessments to date on childhood sexual violence. The researchers defined childhood sexual violence as having ever been physically forced or coerced into unwanted sex or sexual contact – such as fondling or other sexual touching – before the age of 18. They did not include online abuse or exploitation, or consider the relationship between victim and perpetrator. Overall, an estimated 18.9 per cent of women and 14.8 per cent of men were subjected to sexual violence before their 18th birthday, the report found. Related EU ministers water down proposal on child sexual abuse 'Sexual violence against children is a widespread human rights and public health issue, and the world is clearly failing to end it,' said Dr Emmanuela Gakidou, a senior author of the study and a professor at the US-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). In Europe, childhood sexual violence rates for women ranged from 6.9 per cent in Montenegro to 29.7 per cent in the Netherlands. For men, they ranged from 9.7 per cent in Belgium to 21 per cent in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the estimates show. But researchers said the actual figures could be much higher because child sexual abuse is often under-reported. Jaya Dantas, a professor of international health at Curtin University in Australia who was not involved with the study, called the findings 'alarming' in a statement. She called for 'resources and funding to develop health systems that support surveillance in all countries'. The study also sheds light on the time period when children may be at higher risk. For example, among women ages 25 or younger who had experienced sexual violence in childhood, 41.6 per cent were victimised before they turned 16. Meanwhile, 7.7 were victimised before they turned 12, the study found. Related Iceland's 'Nordic paradox': Why the world's best country for women struggles with sexual violence 'The proportion of survivors facing sexual abuse at such a young age is deeply concerning, and we need urgent action from all countries to improve laws, policies, and the ways experts respond,' Gakidou said. Notably, the study looked at data from 1990 to 2023 and found relatively little change in sexual violence rates over the decades. But the variation at the regional and country levels indicates 'there are risk and protective factors for sexual violence,' said María Pilar Matud Aznar, a professor at the University of La Laguna in Spain who was not involved with the study. Understanding those factors, she said in a statement, could help people 'implement programs and policies to prevent and eradicate such violence'.
Euronews
08-05-2025
- Health
- Euronews
1 in 5 women, 1 in 7 men are victims of childhood sexual violence
Nearly one in five women and one in seven men worldwide experienced sexual violence before they turned 18, a new global analysis shows. Rates of sexual violence during childhood were highest in South Asia for women and in sub-Saharan Africa for men – but no region has been spared from the 'pervasive health and human rights issue,' according to the research published on Thursday in The Lancet medical journal. People who survive sexual violence in their youth are at higher risk of health issues later in life, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and chronic conditions, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The study, which included data from 204 countries, is one of the most comprehensive assessments to date on childhood sexual violence. The researchers defined childhood sexual violence as having ever been physically forced or coerced into unwanted sex or sexual contact – such as fondling or other sexual touching – before the age of 18. They did not include online abuse or exploitation, or consider the relationship between victim and perpetrator. Overall, an estimated 18.9 per cent of women and 14.8 per cent of men were subjected to sexual violence before their 18th birthday, the report found. 'Sexual violence against children is a widespread human rights and public health issue, and the world is clearly failing to end it,' said Dr Emmanuela Gakidou, a senior author of the study and a professor at the US-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). In Europe, childhood sexual violence rates for women ranged from 6.9 per cent in Montenegro to 29.7 per cent in the Netherlands. For men, they ranged from 9.7 per cent in Belgium to 21 per cent in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the estimates show. But researchers said the actual figures could be much higher because child sexual abuse is often under-reported. Jaya Dantas, a professor of international health at Curtin University in Australia who was not involved with the study, called the findings 'alarming' in a statement. She called for 'resources and funding to develop health systems that support surveillance in all countries'. The study also sheds light on the time period when children may be at higher risk. For example, among women ages 25 or younger who had experienced sexual violence in childhood, 41.6 per cent were victimised before they turned 16. Meanwhile, 7.7 were victimised before they turned 12, the study found. 'The proportion of survivors facing sexual abuse at such a young age is deeply concerning, and we need urgent action from all countries to improve laws, policies, and the ways experts respond,' Gakidou said. Notably, the study looked at data from 1990 to 2023 and found relatively little change in sexual violence rates over the decades. But the variation at the regional and country levels indicates 'there are risk and protective factors for sexual violence,' said María Pilar Matud Aznar, a professor at the University of La Laguna in Spain who was not involved with the study. Understanding those factors, she said in a statement, could help people 'implement programs and policies to prevent and eradicate such violence'. US President Donald Trump has tapped Dr Casey Means, a physician-turned-wellness influencer with close ties to health department chief Robert F Kennedy Jr, as his nominee for the influential health post of US surgeon general. Trump said in a social media post on Wednesday that Means has "impeccable 'MAHA' credentials" – referring to the "Make America Healthy Again" slogan – and that she will work to eradicate chronic disease and improve the health and well-being of Americans. The US surgeon general, considered the nation's doctor, oversees 6,000 public health workers and can issue advisories that warn of public health threats, but does not set policy. Means and her brother, former lobbyist Calley Means, served as key advisers to Kennedy's longshot 2024 presidential bid and helped broker his endorsement of Trump last summer. Casey Means trained as a doctor but has no government experience and dropped out of her surgical residency programme, saying she became disillusioned with traditional medicine. She founded a health tech company, Levels, that helps users track blood sugar and other metrics. She also makes money from dietary supplements, creams, teas, and other products sponsored on her social media accounts. Means has built an online following by criticising the medical establishment and promoting natural foods and lifestyle changes to reverse obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. She has also linked changes in diet and lifestyle to a raft of conditions, including infertility, Alzheimer's, depression, and erectile dysfunction. Means has mostly steered clear of Kennedy's controversial and debunked views on vaccines. But on her website, she has called for more investigation into their safety and recommends making it easier for patients to sue drugmakers in the event of vaccine injuries. If confirmed as surgeon general, Means would be tasked with helping promote Kennedy's sprawling MAHA agenda, which calls for removing thousands of additives and chemicals from US foods, rooting out conflicts of interest at federal agencies, and incentivising healthier foods in school lunches and other nutrition programmes.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Obesity will affect over half of adults in 25 years, study predicts
Obesity has long been classified as a global epidemic — and new data published in The Lancet journal spotlights how much worse it could get. A team of researchers found that in 2021, one billion men and 1.11 billion women over 25 years of age worldwide qualified as overweight or obese — twice as many as in 1990. In 2021, more than half of the world's overweight and obese adults lived in eight countries: China (402 million), India (180 million), the U.S. (172 million), Brazil (88 million), Russia (71 million), Mexico (58 million), Indonesia (52 million), and Egypt (41 million), according to a press release. This Disease Kills More People Than All Cancers And Accidents Combined If the increase continues at this same pace, the study projects that more than half (57.4%) of men and 60.3% of women will be overweight or obese by 2050. The three countries expected to have the highest rates of overweight or obesity by 2050 are China (627 million people), India (450 million) and the U.S. (214 million). Read On The Fox News App The study also found that by 2050, nearly one-quarter of obese adults will be 65 or older. The researchers analyzed data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study, spanning 204 countries and territories. Ozempic's Health Benefits Keep Growing, But Are The Risks Worth It? "The unprecedented global epidemic of overweight and obesity is a profound tragedy and a monumental societal failure," said lead author Professor Emmanuela Gakidou from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington, in the release. "Governments and the public health community can use our country-specific estimates on the stage, timing and speed of current and forecasted transitions in weight to identify priority populations experiencing the greatest burdens of obesity who require immediate intervention and treatment, and those that remain predominantly overweight and should be primarily targeted with prevention strategies." Another finding was that "more recent generations are gaining weight faster than previous ones and obesity is occurring earlier." This increases the risk of younger people developing obesity-related conditions like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases and multiple cancers. There were some limitations to the study, the researchers acknowledged. "Predictions are constrained by the quantity and quality of past data as well as systemic biases from self-reported data, which are likely to remain despite attempts to correct for bias," they wrote. They also noted that the definition of overweight and obesity is based on BMI (body mass index), "which does not account for variations in body structure across ethnic groups and subpopulations." The study also did not take into account the effects of GLP-1 anti-obesity medications and other interventions. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurosurgeon and longevity expert at Senolytix, called out obesity as the "single greatest modifiable threat to longevity, economic stability and national security." "Yet, instead of confronting the problem head-on, our culture continues to coddle bad habits, normalize obesity and abandon personal responsibility," he said in a statement to Fox News Digital. Weight Loss May Be Helped By Drinking This, Study Suggests "This crisis is not about food deserts genetics or corporate greed — it's about choices. And we are making the wrong ones." The obesity crisis can be linked to sedentary lifestyles, ultraprocessed foods and an "entitlement mentality that demands a pill for every problem," according to Osborn. "The reality is simple: Obesity is caused by caloric surplus and a lack of movement," he said. "When you consistently eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight. Period." If cases rise to the study's projections by 2050, Osborn warned that "obesity-related diseases will cripple healthcare systems worldwide." Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter "The recent Lancet study projects over 1.3 billion global diabetes cases and more than two million obesity-driven cancers annually," he said. "Cardiovascular disease will double in prevalence across multiple regions, and the economic burden will exceed $4 trillion per year. This is unsustainable." "Our healthcare system was never designed to support a world where over half the population has a preventable, self-inflicted disease." The fight against obesity isn't about aesthetics, Osborn said — "nor is this a personal affront to overweight or categorically obese people. This is about survival." "The world has two choices: Act aggressively now or pay an unfathomable price later," he went on. "The time to fight obesity — relentlessly and unapologetically — is now." For more Health articles, visit The study was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It was conducted by the GBD 2021 Adolescent and Adult BMI Collaborators. Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for article source: Obesity will affect over half of adults in 25 years, study predicts
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Obesity will affect over half of adults in 25 years, study predicts
Obesity has long been classified as a global epidemic — and new data published in The Lancet journal spotlights how much worse it could get. A team of researchers found that in 2021, one billion men and 1.11 billion women over 25 years of age worldwide qualified as overweight or obese — twice as many as in 1990. In 2021, more than half of the world's overweight and obese adults lived in eight countries: China (402 million), India (180 million), the U.S. (172 million), Brazil (88 million), Russia (71 million), Mexico (58 million), Indonesia (52 million), and Egypt (41 million), according to a press release. This Disease Kills More People Than All Cancers And Accidents Combined If the increase continues at this same pace, the study projects that more than half (57.4%) of men and 60.3% of women will be overweight or obese by 2050. The three countries expected to have the highest rates of overweight or obesity by 2050 are China (627 million people), India (450 million) and the U.S. (214 million). Read On The Fox News App The study also found that by 2050, nearly one-quarter of obese adults will be 65 or older. The researchers analyzed data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study, spanning 204 countries and territories. Ozempic's Health Benefits Keep Growing, But Are The Risks Worth It? "The unprecedented global epidemic of overweight and obesity is a profound tragedy and a monumental societal failure," said lead author Professor Emmanuela Gakidou from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington, in the release. "Governments and the public health community can use our country-specific estimates on the stage, timing and speed of current and forecasted transitions in weight to identify priority populations experiencing the greatest burdens of obesity who require immediate intervention and treatment, and those that remain predominantly overweight and should be primarily targeted with prevention strategies." Another finding was that "more recent generations are gaining weight faster than previous ones and obesity is occurring earlier." This increases the risk of younger people developing obesity-related conditions like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases and multiple cancers. There were some limitations to the study, the researchers acknowledged. "Predictions are constrained by the quantity and quality of past data as well as systemic biases from self-reported data, which are likely to remain despite attempts to correct for bias," they wrote. They also noted that the definition of overweight and obesity is based on BMI (body mass index), "which does not account for variations in body structure across ethnic groups and subpopulations." The study also did not take into account the effects of GLP-1 anti-obesity medications and other interventions. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurosurgeon and longevity expert at Senolytix, called out obesity as the "single greatest modifiable threat to longevity, economic stability and national security." "Yet, instead of confronting the problem head-on, our culture continues to coddle bad habits, normalize obesity and abandon personal responsibility," he said in a statement to Fox News Digital. Weight Loss May Be Helped By Drinking This, Study Suggests "This crisis is not about food deserts genetics or corporate greed — it's about choices. And we are making the wrong ones." The obesity crisis can be linked to sedentary lifestyles, ultraprocessed foods and an "entitlement mentality that demands a pill for every problem," according to Osborn. "The reality is simple: Obesity is caused by caloric surplus and a lack of movement," he said. "When you consistently eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight. Period." If cases rise to the study's projections by 2050, Osborn warned that "obesity-related diseases will cripple healthcare systems worldwide." Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter "The recent Lancet study projects over 1.3 billion global diabetes cases and more than two million obesity-driven cancers annually," he said. "Cardiovascular disease will double in prevalence across multiple regions, and the economic burden will exceed $4 trillion per year. This is unsustainable." "Our healthcare system was never designed to support a world where over half the population has a preventable, self-inflicted disease." The fight against obesity isn't about aesthetics, Osborn said — "nor is this a personal affront to overweight or categorically obese people. This is about survival." "The world has two choices: Act aggressively now or pay an unfathomable price later," he went on. "The time to fight obesity — relentlessly and unapologetically — is now." For more Health articles, visit The study was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It was conducted by the GBD 2021 Adolescent and Adult BMI Collaborators. Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for article source: Obesity will affect over half of adults in 25 years, study predicts
Fox News
06-03-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Obesity will affect over half of adults in 25 years, study predicts
Obesity has long been classified as a global epidemic — and new data published in The Lancet journal spotlights how much worse it could get. A team of researchers found that in 2021, one billion men and 1.11 billion women over 25 years of age worldwide qualified as overweight or obese — twice as many as in 1990. In 2021, more than half of the world's overweight and obese adults lived in eight countries: China (402 million), India (180 million), the U.S. (172 million), Brazil (88 million), Russia (71 million), Mexico (58 million), Indonesia (52 million), and Egypt (41 million), according to a press release. If the increase continues at this same pace, the study projects that more than half (57.4%) of men and 60.3% of women will be overweight or obese by 2050. The three countries expected to have the highest rates of overweight or obesity by 2050 are China (627 million people), India (450 million) and the U.S. (214 million). The study also found that by 2050, nearly one-quarter of obese adults will be 65 or older. The researchers analyzed data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study, spanning 204 countries and territories. "The unprecedented global epidemic of overweight and obesity is a profound tragedy and a monumental societal failure," said lead author Professor Emmanuela Gakidou from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington, in the release. "Governments and the public health community can use our country-specific estimates on the stage, timing and speed of current and forecasted transitions in weight to identify priority populations experiencing the greatest burdens of obesity who require immediate intervention and treatment, and those that remain predominantly overweight and should be primarily targeted with prevention strategies." Another finding was that "more recent generations are gaining weight faster than previous ones and obesity is occurring earlier." This increases the risk of younger people developing obesity-related conditions like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases and multiple cancers. "The world has two choices: Act aggressively now or pay an unfathomable price later." There were some limitations to the study, the researchers acknowledged. "Predictions are constrained by the quantity and quality of past data as well as systemic biases from self-reported data, which are likely to remain despite attempts to correct for bias," they wrote. They also noted that the definition of overweight and obesity is based on BMI (body mass index), "which does not account for variations in body structure across ethnic groups and subpopulations." The study also did not take into account the effects of GLP-1 anti-obesity medications and other interventions. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurosurgeon and longevity expert at Senolytix, called out obesity as the "single greatest modifiable threat to longevity, economic stability and national security." "Yet, instead of confronting the problem head-on, our culture continues to coddle bad habits, normalize obesity and abandon personal responsibility," he said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "This crisis is not about food deserts genetics or corporate greed — it's about choices. And we are making the wrong ones." The obesity crisis can be linked to sedentary lifestyles, ultraprocessed foods and an "entitlement mentality that demands a pill for every problem," according to Osborn. "The reality is simple: Obesity is caused by caloric surplus and a lack of movement," he said. "When you consistently eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight. Period." If cases rise to the study's projections by 2050, Osborn warned that "obesity-related diseases will cripple healthcare systems worldwide." "The recent Lancet study projects over 1.3 billion global diabetes cases and more than two million obesity-driven cancers annually," he said. "Cardiovascular disease will double in prevalence across multiple regions, and the economic burden will exceed $4 trillion per year. This is unsustainable." "Our healthcare system was never designed to support a world where over half the population has a preventable, self-inflicted disease." The fight against obesity isn't about aesthetics, Osborn said — "nor is this a personal affront to overweight or categorically obese people. This is about survival." "The world has two choices: Act aggressively now or pay an unfathomable price later," he went on. "The time to fight obesity — relentlessly and unapologetically — is now." For more Health articles, visit The study was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It was conducted by the GBD 2021 Adolescent and Adult BMI Collaborators. Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
