Spend no more than 2–3 minutes skimming the passage to understand the main idea before looking at the questions.

Discusses potential interventions: sugar taxes, restricting junk food advertising to children, and redesigning cities for walkability. However, the author notes strong lobbying from the food industry prevents policy changes.

"The World's Expanding Waistline" is a frequently used IELTS reading passage that examines the global shift from food scarcity to an obesity epidemic. This article provides the core content of the passage, a summary of key answer keys, and strategic tips for high-scoring students.