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One in eight adults now obese: global survey

The research warned of a looming crisis of “severe obesity” and disease brought on by high-fat, high-sugar diets causing blood pressure and cholesterol to rise. “There will be health consequences of magnitudes that we do not know,” author Majid Ezzati of Imperial College London told AFP. Among men globally, obesity tripled from 3.2 percent of the population in 1975 to 10.8 percent in 2014 (some 266 million), and among women from 6.4 percent to 14.9 percent (375 million), said the survey — 12.9 percent combined.

Ivory Coast launches enrollment for universal healthcare scheme

Ivory Coast launched enrollment for a planned universal healthcare program on Thursday with initial government financing of 20 billion CFA francs ($34.67 million), the scheme’s director said. The West African nation is expecting 4 million people to sign up this year, in a country where officials say less than five percent of the population is covered by health insurance. Low-cost treatment of basic health problems is due to begin in September before expanding next year.