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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2025 Jun 8.
Published in final edited form as: Circulation. 2024 Jan 24;149(8):e347–e913. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001209

Table 6-5.

Deaths Caused by High BMI Worldwide, by Sex, 2021

Deaths
Both sexes (95% U I) Male (95% UI) Female (95% UI)
Total No. of deaths (millions), 2021 3.69 (1.97 to 5.63) 1.68 (0.91 to 2.55) 2.01 (1.08 to 3.05)
Percent change in total number, 1990–2021, % 160.97 (144.04 to 176.20) 177.92 (156.74 to 198.40) 148.33 (129.99 to 171.26)
Percent change in total number, 2010 to 2021, % 45.65 (38.36 to 52.62) 47.07 (39.55 to 55.76) 44.48 (37.26 to 51.94)
Mortality rate per 100 000, age standardized, 2021 43.61 (23.35 to 66.42) 43.70 (23.72 to 66.34) 43.03 (23.03 to 65.16)
Percent change in rate, age standardized, 1990–2021, % 8.13 (1.02 to 14.82) 14.47 (5.95 to 22.77) 4.42 (−3.71 to 13.82)
Percent change in rate, age standardized, 2010 to 2021, % 2.98 (−2.18 to 8.10) 4.51 (−1.12 to 10.32) 2.19 (−3.30 to 7.23)
PAF, all ages, 2021, % 5.35 (2.80 to 7.89) 4.39 (2.32 to 6.41) 6.53 (3.42 to 9.71)
Percent change in PAF, all ages, 1990–2021, % 74.88 (65.66 to 84.10) 80.48 (70.51 to 89.43) 72.79 (62.03 to 84.89)
Percent change in PAF, all ages, 2010–2021, % 11.81 (8.13 to 15.35) 11.48 (7.68 to 15.28) 12.65 (8.94 to 17.29)

During each annual GBD Study cycle, population health estimates are produced for the full time series. Improvements in statistical and geospatial modeling methods and the addition of new data sources may lead to changes in past results across GBD Study cycles.

BMI indicates body mass index; GBD, Global Burden of Disease Study; PAF, population attributable fraction; and UI, uncertainty interval.

Source: Data courtesy of the GBD Study. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Used with permission. All rights reserved.127