Is obesity really non-communicable?

Description

Obesity, broadly speaking, is characterised by having a body-mass index above 30 kg^.m², and described as a non-communicable risk factor. Between 1993 and 2017, the proportion of adults in the United Kingdom (UK) that are overweight or obese has risen from 57.6% to 68% in men, and from 48.6% to 58% in women. This represents an estimated economic burden of £27 billion. The government predicts that almost half of the UK population could be obese by 2050, with an associated cost of £50 billion a year (1). Obesity levels in the UK (and worldwide) are consistently acknowledged as, and accepted to be an epidemic. Moreover, when defining an epidemic, the severity and initial rate of increase depend upon the value of the Basic Reproduction Number (R ₀), defined as the average number of new ‘infections’ generated. If R ₀ > 1 an epidemic will occur and if R ₀ < 1 it will die out. Therefore, given the consistent rise in weight status over recent decades, obesity could be considered to be highly communicable (2).