EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – The World Health Organization reported that obesity has reached epidemic proportions on a global scale, with more than two million people dying each year from being obese or overweight.

A study using national data from people between the ages of 18 to 25 shows that more than one in every three people is obese.

In 1980, reports showed that the same age group of people from 18 to 25 years had a six percent obesity rate.

The author of the study, Alejandra Ellison-Barnes, said that she is surprised by the “magnitude of the increase”.

Researchers are working to find out the cause of the obesity epidemic, but state that cultural trends in terms of education or the workforce over years may be contributing factors.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 42 percent of all people in the United States are obese and obesity-related conditions are among the leading causes of preventable, premature death.

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