Obesity in Asia

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Obesity in Asia

Introduction

Obesity, defined as an abnormal or excessive accumulation of body fat, is a significant health concern worldwide. In Asia, a region with diverse dietary habits and lifestyles, obesity rates have been increasing, posing new challenges to public health systems traditionally focused on undernutrition.

Causes of Obesity

The causes of obesity are multifactorial, involving genetics, diet, physical activity, and environmental factors. In Asia, rapid urbanization, economic development, and lifestyle changes have led to increased sedentary behavior and a shift towards calorie-dense diets, contributing to rising obesity rates.

Obesity in Asia: Current Trends

While Asia is often associated with lower obesity rates compared to other regions, there is a growing trend of obesity, especially in urban areas. This trend is particularly concerning given the link between obesity and chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers.

Ranking of Asian Countries by Obesity Rates

[Here, include a list or table of Asian countries ranked by their obesity rates, based on the most recent data available. The list should be formatted to show the country name, followed by its obesity rate.]

Health Impact

Obesity in Asia contributes to a growing burden of non-communicable diseases. The region's health systems, varying in capacity and resources, face challenges in addressing this double burden of malnutrition and obesity-related health issues.

Efforts to Combat Obesity

Responses to the obesity epidemic in Asia include public health initiatives promoting healthier diets and physical activity, policy interventions regulating food advertising and sales, and educational campaigns to raise awareness about healthy lifestyle choices.

Challenges and Future Directions

Tackling obesity in Asia requires addressing cultural, economic, and social factors that contribute to its prevalence. Future strategies need to focus on comprehensive, culturally appropriate approaches that combine policy, community engagement, and healthcare interventions.

Obesity in Asia by country

Country	other name	Obesity rate	Date of information	Ranking	Region
Russia	Russia	23.1	2016	70	Central Asia
Kazakhstan	Kazakhstan	21	2016	94	Central Asia
Turkmenistan	Turkmenistan	18.6	2016	116	Central Asia
Kyrgyzstan	Kyrgyzstan	16.6	2016	122	Central Asia
Uzbekistan	Uzbekistan	16.6	2016	123	Central Asia
Tajikistan	Tajikistan	14.2	2016	128	Central Asia
Papua-new-guinea	Papua-new-guinea	21.3	2016	90	East and Southeast Asia
Mongolia	Mongolia	20.6	2016	97	East and Southeast Asia
Malaysia	Malaysia	15.6	2016	125	East and Southeast Asia
Brunei	Brunei	14.1	2016	129	East and Southeast Asia
Thailand	Thailand	10	2016	140	East and Southeast Asia
Indonesia	Indonesia	6.9	2016	162	East and Southeast Asia
Korea-north	Korea-north	6.8	2016	163	East and Southeast Asia
Philippines	Philippines	6.4	2016	167	East and Southeast Asia
China	China	6.2	2016	169	East and Southeast Asia
Singapore	Singapore	6.1	2016	170	East and Southeast Asia
Burma	Burma	5.8	2016	173	East and Southeast Asia
Laos	Laos	5.3	2016	179	East and Southeast Asia
Korea-south	Korea-south	4.7	2016	184	East and Southeast Asia
Japan	Japan	4.3	2016	186	East and Southeast Asia
Cambodia	Cambodia	3.9	2016	188	East and Southeast Asia
Timor-leste	Timor-leste	3.8	2016	190	East and Southeast Asia
Vietnam	Vietnam	2.1	2016	192	East and Southeast Asia
Kuwait	Kuwait	37.9	2016	11	Middle East
Jordan	Jordan	35.5	2016	13	Middle East
Saudi-arabia	Saudi-arabia	35.4	2016	14	Middle East
Qatar	Qatar	35.1	2016	15	Middle East
Turkey-turkiye	Turkey-turkiye	32.1	2016	17	Middle East
Lebanon	Lebanon	32	2016	18	Middle East
United-arab-emirates	United-arab-emirates	31.7	2016	20	Middle East
Iraq	Iraq	30.4	2016	23	Middle East
Bahrain	Bahrain	29.8	2016	25	Middle East
Syria	Syria	27.8	2016	35	Middle East
Oman	Oman	27	2016	39	Middle East
Israel	Israel	26.1	2016	45	Middle East
Iran	Iran	25.8	2016	47	Middle East
Georgia	Georgia	21.7	2016	85	Middle East
Armenia	Armenia	20.2	2016	101	Middle East
Azerbaijan	Azerbaijan	19.9	2016	107	Middle East
Yemen	Yemen	17.1	2016	120	Middle East
Pakistan	Pakistan	8.6	2016	148	South Asia
Maldives	Maldives	8.6	2016	149	South Asia
Bhutan	Bhutan	6.4	2016	168	South Asia
Afghanistan	Afghanistan	5.5	2016	177	South Asia
Sri-lanka	Sri-lanka	5.2	2016	182	South Asia
Nepal	Nepal	4.1	2016	187	South Asia
India	India	3.9	2016	189	South Asia
Bangladesh	Bangladesh	3.6	2016	191	South Asia

Summary

Obesity is a growing concern in Asia, with varying prevalence across countries. Addressing this issue requires a holistic approach involving government policies, public health initiatives, and community-based strategies to promote healthier lifestyles and prevent obesity-related health conditions.