Obesity as a threat to health security

Abstract

The aim of this article is to present the impact of the increase of body mass index (BMI) on the health security of a specific population. The paper presents an analysis of the collected statistical data, which clearly indicate a significant increase in the number of obese people in the world in recent decades (illustrated on the basis of data from the USA, Poland, Germany, the UK, Sweden, Norway). The author presents the trends and threats resulting from the increase in the number of obese people in the societies of individual countries and regions. An obvious consequence of the outlined problem is a significant burden on health care systems and an increase in their maintenance costs. The observations presented lead to conclusions that confirm the hypothesis on the need to implement effective programs aimed at combating the growing problem.