SOCIO-ECONOMIC INEQUALITY AND PREVALENCE OF OBESITY: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Abstract

Objective. To analyze the dynamics and establish the features of the relationship between the level of economic development of countries (by national income) and mortality rates due to obesity, metabolic disorders and nutritional risk factors (dietary characteristics) in the period from 1990 to 2021. Materials and methods. The analysis used data from global databases: Global Burden of Disease (GBD), Our World in Data, World Bank. The work used statistical and comparative analyses, epidemiological methods, and mathematical statistics methods. Results. For countries with income levels above the average, it was found that the leading factor of mortality is not so much a general excess of calories, but specific dietary deficiencies. In particular, in Ukraine, extremely high mortality rates were recorded due to insufficient consumption of whole grains (up to 52.8%) and nuts and seeds (31.9%). A rapid increase in the role of high blood glucose levels as a mortality factor was established, especially in developing countries. A universal risk factor for all groups of countries was low physical activity, the growth rates of mortality from which in countries with income below the average are ahead of similar indicators in developed countries. The most vulnerable category in the modern world has become the countries of "middle income" (lower and higher), where a combination of high rates of obesity growth with critical nutrient deficiencies (vegetables, whole grains) and insufficient medical control of metabolic disorders is observed. This necessitates a review of national nutrition strategies with an emphasis on increasing the share of plant-based foods and whole grains. Conclusions. It has been established that the prevalence of obesity is influenced by the economic devel- opment of countries. The most vulnerable category in the modern world is the "middle-income" countries (lower and upper), where a combination of high rates of obesity growth with critical nutrient deficiencies (veg- etables, whole grains) and insufficient medical control of metabolic disorders is observed. This necessitates the revision of national nutrition strategies with an emphasis on increasing the share of plant products and whole grains.