Excessive weight gain among adults has hit record highs in the developing world, as a U.K. study finds the number of obese adults has quadrupled since 1980.

In the developing world, the researchers said there are now about one billion adults classified as obese or overweight, BBC News reported. The Oversees Development Institute predicted a "huge increase" in heart attacks, stroke and diabetes as a result.

Aside from North America and Europe, Latin America and North Africa lead the world in highest amount of adults with a body mass index greater than 25, a figure that indicates obesity. The percentage of people worldwide with this BMI increased from 23 percent in 1980 to 34 percent in 2008.

"People with higher incomes have the ability to choose the kind of foods they want," Steve Wiggins, a report co-author, told BBC News. "Changes in lifestyle, the increasing availability of processed foods, advertising, media influences... have all led to dietary changes."

In emerging economies, Wiggins said, middle class families are beginning to see higher incomes while still living in urban areas and are also not exercising properly. He recommended governments should take it upon themselves to fight excessive unhealthy food consumption and promote healthy living in the same way many discourage tobacco smoking.

"Politicians need to be less shy about trying to influence what food ends up on our plates," Wiggins said. "The challenge is to make healthy diets viable whilst reducing the appeal of foods which carry a less certain nutritional value."

Alan Dangour, a health expert for the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told BBC News urbanization in the developing world is a contributor. As a result, people are exercising less and diets are further drifting away from traditionally healthy habits.

"We need to act urgently to deal with the scandal of millions of cases of extreme hunger and under-nutrition in children, but we also need to think what happens if we provide lots of extra calories, containing few vitamins, and encourage excess consumption," he said. "Clever, joined-up policies are needed."