Dalton doesn’t think that obesity is an epidemic. By turning a condition with complex psychological, social and genetic causes into a disease, the WHO’s report plays into the hands of those with drugs to sell and takes obesity away from self-management, says Dalton.

The report, "Obesity: Preventing and Managing the Global Epidemic," is a survey of obesity trends in Africa, the Americas, Southeast Asia, the Mediterranean, Europe and the Western Pacific.

Along with high rates of diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, obesity is a symptom of the phenomenon described as "New World Syndrome," according to the study. The increase in obesity rates has been too rapid to correspond with any significant genetic changes, suggesting environmental and social factors are to blame.

The WHO’s study cites "energy-saving activities" in the workplace and home as part of the "New World Syndrome." A rise in car ownership, mechanization, television viewing and the inability of children to play on local streets because of traffic congestion all contribute to global weight gain, according to the study.