Obesity rates have rocketed since 1990, doubling in adults and quadrupling in children and teenagers.

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The global population is about 7.9billion, meaning one in eight are now squashing the scales with 879million obese adults and 159m youngsters.

Thirty years ago many in poor countries were starved thin but in most places they are now more likely to be overweight, experts said.

Pacific Islanders are the heftiest adults, while those in Vietnam and Ethiopia are slimmest.

Britain ranks 55th fattest for men, out of 200 countries, and 87th for women.

It was lower than the USA, whose blokes are 10th heaviest and women 36th.

It is concerning that obesity has risen in both adults and children

Professor Majid EzzatiImperial College London

Researchers said junk food has become cheaper while healthy ingredients got more expensive.

The massive study used measurements up to 2022 from 220million people around the world and was led by Imperial College London, with 1,500 scientists involved.

Senior author Professor Majid Ezzati, from Imperial, said: “It is very concerning that the epidemic of obesity that was seen among adults in much of the world in 1990 is now mirrored in school-aged children and adolescents. 

“At the same time, hundreds of millions are still affected by undernutrition.

“We need to tackle both forms of malnutrition.”

Only around one in 10 Brits were obese in 1990 but it is now about three in 10, Prof Ezzati wrote in The Lancet medical journal.

Obesity in India has rocketed ten-fold since the 90s.

Childhood obesity in the UK more than doubled from four per cent to between 10 and 12 per cent in the same period.

Dr Francesco Branca, head of nutrition at the WHO, said: “Undernourished people are more susceptible to infectious diseases but obesity can lead to type 2 diabetes and heart diseases, it can affect bone health and reproduction, and increases the risk of certain cancers. 

“It basically hits every system in the body and also affects quality of life.

“There is some good news of a decrease in obesity in women in Spain and France, and a slowing down of the epidemic in Western Europe.”

‘The NHS cannot fix Britain’s problem alone’

Prof Ezzati added: “Keeping the obesity rate the same is not good enough.

“We need to get it down because the rising population means a stable rate is still an increasing number of people.”

Professor Simon Kenny, of NHS England, said: “These figures are alarming.

“Obesity affects every human organ system so at a young age it can have a major impact on a child’s life and lead to shorter and unhappier lives. 

“The NHS is committed to helping as many young people and families affected by extreme weight issues as possible.

“But the NHS cannot solve this issue alone, and joined-up action by industry and wider society is needed if we are to avoid a ticking health timebomb for the future.”