Overweight and Obesity

Ghana's 2022 under-five overweight or obesity rate was about four times the 2011 Ghana MICS estimate. Overweight and obesity were nearly twice as prevalent as thinness in the sample. Ghana's current childhood overweight trajectory conflicts with the WHO target of no increase by 2025. Findings from the total sample were replicated in the female subgroup, confirming they are not an artefact of the skewed sex distribution. China holds the world's highest prevalence of overweight, obesity, and type 2 diabetes, creating urgent need for accurate measurement tools. Lower exercise tolerance in individuals with obesity causes them to perceive breathlessness at intensity levels that fall below objective vigorous activity thresholds. Measurement biases from self-report are magnified in individuals with obesity, who systematically over-report PA and under-report sedentary time more than the general population. The study sample had a mean BMI of 29.1 kg/m² and approximately 80% of participants were classified as obese.