By 2035, more than half of the world's population will be overweight

A new report from the World Federation Against Obesity says that more than half of the world's population will be overweight or obese by 2035 unless significant action is taken.

The organization predicts that 51% of the world's population, more than 4 billion people, will be overweight or obese over the next 12 years. Obesity rates are rising especially rapidly among children and in lower-income countries, according to the report.

Louise Baur, president of the World Obesity Federation, called the data "a clear warning" and said that policymakers must act now to prevent the situation from worsening.

Of particular concern is the fact that obesity rates are rising faster among children and adolescents.

The statement said that "governments and policymakers around the world must do everything they can to ensure that the medical, social and economic costs are not passed on to the younger generation."

Childhood obesity could more than double from 2020 levels, according to the report.

The report uses Body Mass Index (BMI), a measure that is calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared, for its estimates. According to World Health Organization guidelines, a BMI above 25 is overweight and above 30 is obese.