Obesity in the World

Obesity
Other names	Overweight, Excessive weight, Adiposity
Worldwide obesity prevalence, with countries in darker shades having higher rates.
Specialty	Endocrinology, nutrition, psychology
Complications	Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, certain types of cancer, obstructive sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, fatty liver disease, mental health issues
Treatment	Diet, exercise, behavioral therapy, medications, bariatric surgery

Obesity is a global medical condition characterized by an excessive accumulation of body fat. It is a complex issue influenced by various factors, including genetics, environment, and lifestyle. This article provides a detailed overview of obesity worldwide, its common causes, and some of the worst-affected countries.

Global Obesity Statistics

Worldwide obesity has become a significant public health concern, with a steady increase in the prevalence of overweight and obese individuals over the decades. The following statistics highlight the alarming rise in obesity rates:

Nearly Tripled Since 1975

The prevalence of obesity worldwide has nearly tripled since 1975. This dramatic increase is a cause for global concern, as it indicates a growing health crisis affecting people of all ages.

Over 1.9 Billion Adults Overweight in 2016

In the year 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults aged 18 years and older were classified as overweight. This staggering number represents a substantial portion of the global adult population facing issues related to excessive body weight.

Over 650 Million Obese in 2016

Among the overweight adults in 2016, a subset of over 650 million individuals were categorized as obese. Obesity, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, is associated with a higher risk of various health conditions and complications.

39% of Adults Over 18 Were Overweight in 2016

The statistics reveal that in 2016, approximately 39% of adults aged 18 years and over worldwide were classified as overweight. This means that nearly two-fifths of the adult population faced the challenges and health risks associated with excess body weight.

13% of Adults Over 18 Were Obese in 2016

In the same year, 2016, approximately 13% of adults aged 18 years and over were considered obese. This significant percentage indicates that a substantial portion of the global adult population had reached a level of obesity associated with severe health implications.

Causes of Obesity

Obesity can result from a combination of genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors. Some common causes and contributing factors to weight gain and obesity include:

Insulin resistance

Doençararapele

Insulin resistance is a metabolic condition in which the body's cells become less responsive to insulin. This can lead to elevated blood sugar levels and increased fat storage, contributing to obesity and the development of type 2 diabetes.

Physical Inactivity

Lack of physical activity and sedentary lifestyles are major contributors to obesity. A lack of exercise can lead to an imbalance between calorie intake and expenditure, resulting in weight gain.

Stress

Chronic stress can trigger overeating and unhealthy eating habits as a coping mechanism. Stress hormones like cortisol may also contribute to fat storage, particularly around the abdominal area.

Eating Habits

Unhealthy eating habits, including the consumption of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods, large portion sizes, and frequent snacking on sugary or fatty foods, can lead to obesity.

Genetics

Genetic factors play a role in an individual's susceptibility to obesity. Some people may have a genetic predisposition that makes it more challenging to maintain a healthy weight.

Environment

Environmental factors, such as easy access to unhealthy food options, food marketing, and socioeconomic status, can influence dietary choices and contribute to obesity.

Obesity in various countries

Obesity is a global health concern that affects people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. The prevalence of obesity has been steadily increasing worldwide. Some of the worst-affected countries include:

Obesity statistics USA from CDC

United States

The United States has one of the highest obesity rates in the world, with a significant portion of the population being overweight or obese. See obesity in United States

Mexico

Mexico consistently ranks among the countries with the highest obesity rates, driven in part by dietary habits and lifestyle factors.

Egypt

Obesity is a growing concern in Egypt, with rising rates among both adults and children.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom faces increasing obesity rates, leading to various health issues and strains on the healthcare system.

Australia

Australia has also seen a rise in obesity rates, prompting public health initiatives to combat the issue.

Rethinking Our Dietary Approach Shifting focus from individual blame to understanding the complexities of obesity is crucial. A key factor is insulin resistance, impacting up to 71% of the population, with 35% experiencing metabolic syndrome. Navigating Misinformation The overwhelming presence of over 20,000 books and mixed messages on obesity medicine calls for guidance from experts like Dr Prab R. Tumpati, MD, who can provide clarity on the science and practice of this field. The Downfall of the Food Guide Pyramid The outdated and ineffective food guide pyramid, promoting a low-fat but high-glycemic diet, significantly contributed to increased insulin resistance and, consequently, weight gain. Insulin resistance and weight gain Insulin resistance is a physiological condition where the body's cells become less responsive to the hormone insulin. As insulin not only controls the blood sugar, it also controls the weight! Reducing the overall carbohydrate load and insulin levels is a key underlying concept in many low carbohydrate diets such as the ketogenic diet.

The Blame Game in Obesity Understanding metabolic starvation Weight gain isn't typically intentional. It often stems from the paradox of metabolic starvation in the obese, driven by insulin resistance and resulting in heightened insulin levels. This leads to persistent hunger, cravings, and further weight gain. Stop blaming the victim for obesity!

Treatment and Prevention

Obesity is a complex condition that requires a multidisciplinary approach to treatment and prevention. Strategies include:

• Diet and exercise to create a calorie deficit.
• Behavioral therapy to address emotional eating and lifestyle changes.
• Medications in some cases.
• Bariatric surgery for severe obesity.

Prevention efforts focus on promoting healthy eating, physical activity, and awareness of the consequences of obesity.

Country	Adult obesity rate	Year	Ranking	Region
Nauru	61	2016	1	Australia and Oceania
Cook Islands	55.9	2016	2	Australia and Oceania
Palau	55.3	2016	3	Australia and Oceania
Marshall Islands	52.9	2016	4	Australia and Oceania
Tuvalu	51.6	2016	5	Australia and Oceania
Niue	50	2016	6	Australia and Oceania
Tonga	48.2	2016	7	Australia and Oceania
Samoa	47.3	2016	8	Australia and Oceania
Kiribati	46	2016	9	Australia and Oceania
Micronesia, Federated States of	45.8	2016	10	Australia and Oceania
Kuwait	37.9	2016	11	Middle East
United States	36.2	2016	12	North America
Jordan	35.5	2016	13	Middle East
Saudi Arabia	35.4	2016	14	Middle East
Qatar	35.1	2016	15	Middle East
Libya	32.5	2016	16	Africa
Turkey (Turkiye)	32.1	2016	17	Middle East
Lebanon	32	2016	18	Middle East
Egypt	32	2016	19	Africa
United Arab Emirates	31.7	2016	20	Middle East
Bahamas, The	31.6	2016	21	Central America and the Caribbean
New Zealand	30.8	2016	22	Australia and Oceania
Iraq	30.4	2016	23	Middle East
Fiji	30.2	2016	24	Australia and Oceania
Bahrain	29.8	2016	25	Middle East
Canada	29.4	2016	26	North America
Australia	29	2016	27	Australia and Oceania
Mexico	28.9	2016	28	North America
Malta	28.9	2016	29	Europe
South Africa	28.3	2016	30	Africa
Argentina	28.3	2016	31	South America
Chile	28	2016	32	South America
Uruguay	27.9	2016	33	South America
Dominica	27.9	2016	34	Central America and the Caribbean
Syria	27.8	2016	35	Middle East
United Kingdom	27.8	2016	36	Europe
Dominican Republic	27.6	2016	37	Central America and the Caribbean
Algeria	27.4	2016	38	Africa
Oman	27	2016	39	Middle East
Tunisia	26.9	2016	40	Africa
Suriname	26.4	2016	41	South America
Hungary	26.4	2016	42	Europe
Lithuania	26.3	2016	43	Europe
Morocco	26.1	2016	44	Africa
Israel	26.1	2016	45	Middle East
Czechia	26	2016	46	Europe
Iran	25.8	2016	47	Middle East
Costa Rica	25.7	2016	48	Central America and the Caribbean
Venezuela	25.6	2016	49	South America
Andorra	25.6	2016	50	Europe
Ireland	25.3	2016	51	Europe
Vanuatu	25.2	2016	52	Australia and Oceania
Bulgaria	25	2016	53	Europe
Greece	24.9	2016	54	Europe
Jamaica	24.7	2016	55	Central America and the Caribbean
Cuba	24.6	2016	56	Central America and the Caribbean
El Salvador	24.6	2016	57	Central America and the Caribbean
Belarus	24.5	2016	58	Europe
Croatia	24.4	2016	59	Europe
Belize	24.1	2016	60	Central America and the Caribbean
Ukraine	24.1	2016	61	Europe
Spain	23.8	2016	62	Europe
Nicaragua	23.7	2016	63	Central America and the Caribbean
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	23.7	2016	64	Central America and the Caribbean
Latvia	23.6	2016	65	Europe
Montenegro	23.3	2016	66	Europe
Norway	23.1	2016	67	Europe
Poland	23.1	2016	68	Europe
Barbados	23.1	2016	69	Central America and the Caribbean
Russia	23.1	2016	70	Central Asia
Saint Kitts and Nevis	22.9	2016	71	Central America and the Caribbean
Haiti	22.7	2016	72	Central America and the Caribbean
Panama	22.7	2016	73	Central America and the Caribbean
Luxembourg	22.6	2016	74	Europe
Solomon Islands	22.5	2016	75	Australia and Oceania
Romania	22.5	2016	76	Europe
North Macedonia	22.4	2016	77	Europe
Colombia	22.3	2016	78	South America
Germany	22.3	2016	79	Europe
Finland	22.2	2016	80	Europe
Brazil	22.1	2016	81	South America
Belgium	22.1	2016	82	Europe
Iceland	21.9	2016	83	Europe
Cyprus	21.8	2016	84	Europe
Georgia	21.7	2016	85	Middle East
Albania	21.7	2016	86	Europe
France	21.6	2016	87	Europe
Serbia	21.5	2016	88	Europe
Honduras	21.4	2016	89	Central America and the Caribbean
Papua New Guinea	21.3	2016	90	East and Southeast Asia
Grenada	21.3	2016	91	Central America and the Caribbean
Guatemala	21.2	2016	92	Central America and the Caribbean
Estonia	21.2	2016	93	Europe
Kazakhstan	21	2016	94	Central Asia
Portugal	20.8	2016	95	Europe
Sweden	20.6	2016	96	Europe
Mongolia	20.6	2016	97	East and Southeast Asia
Slovakia	20.5	2016	98	Europe
Netherlands	20.4	2016	99	Europe
Paraguay	20.3	2016	100	South America
Armenia	20.2	2016	101	Middle East
Guyana	20.2	2016	102	South America
Bolivia	20.2	2016	103	South America
Slovenia	20.2	2016	104	Europe
Austria	20.1	2016	105	Europe
Ecuador	19.9	2016	106	South America
Azerbaijan	19.9	2016	107	Middle East
Italy	19.9	2016	108	Europe
Denmark	19.7	2016	109	Europe
Peru	19.7	2016	110	South America
Saint Lucia	19.7	2016	111	Central America and the Caribbean
Switzerland	19.5	2016	112	Europe
Moldova	18.9	2016	113	Europe
Botswana	18.9	2016	114	Africa
Antigua and Barbuda	18.9	2016	115	Central America and the Caribbean
Turkmenistan	18.6	2016	116	Central Asia
Trinidad and Tobago	18.6	2016	117	Central America and the Caribbean
Bosnia and Herzegovina	17.9	2016	118	Europe
Namibia	17.2	2016	119	Africa
Yemen	17.1	2016	120	Middle East
Lesotho	16.6	2016	121	Africa
Kyrgyzstan	16.6	2016	122	Central Asia
Uzbekistan	16.6	2016	123	Central Asia
Eswatini	16.5	2016	124	Africa
Malaysia	15.6	2016	125	East and Southeast Asia
Zimbabwe	15.5	2016	126	Africa
Gabon	15	2016	127	Africa
Tajikistan	14.2	2016	128	Central Asia
Brunei	14.1	2016	129	East and Southeast Asia
Seychelles	14	2016	130	Africa
Djibouti	13.5	2016	131	Africa
Mauritania	12.7	2016	132	Africa
Sao Tome and Principe	12.4	2016	133	Africa
Cabo Verde	11.8	2016	134	Africa
Cameroon	11.4	2016	135	Africa
Ghana	10.9	2016	136	Africa
Mauritius	10.8	2016	137	Africa
Gambia, The	10.3	2016	138	Africa
Cote d'Ivoire	10.3	2016	139	Africa
Thailand	10	2016	140	East and Southeast Asia
Liberia	9.9	2016	141	Africa
Benin	9.6	2016	142	Africa
Congo, Republic of the	9.6	2016	143	Africa
Guinea-Bissau	9.5	2016	144	Africa
Nigeria	8.9	2016	145	Africa
Senegal	8.8	2016	146	Africa
Sierra Leone	8.7	2016	147	Africa
Pakistan	8.6	2016	148	South Asia
Maldives	8.6	2016	149	South Asia
Mali	8.6	2016	150	Africa
Togo	8.4	2016	151	Africa
Tanzania	8.4	2016	152	Africa
Somalia	8.3	2016	153	Africa
Angola	8.2	2016	154	Africa
Zambia	8.1	2016	155	Africa
Equatorial Guinea	8	2016	156	Africa
Comoros	7.8	2016	157	Africa
Guinea	7.7	2016	158	Africa
Central African Republic	7.5	2016	159	Africa
Mozambique	7.2	2016	160	Africa
Kenya	7.1	2016	161	Africa
Indonesia	6.9	2016	162	East and Southeast Asia
Korea, North	6.8	2016	163	East and Southeast Asia
Congo, Democratic Republic of the	6.7	2016	164	Africa
Sudan	6.6	2014	165	Africa
South Sudan	6.6	2014	166	Africa
Philippines	6.4	2016	167	East and Southeast Asia
Bhutan	6.4	2016	168	South Asia
China	6.2	2016	169	East and Southeast Asia
Singapore	6.1	2016	170	East and Southeast Asia
Chad	6.1	2016	171	Africa
Rwanda	5.8	2016	172	Africa
Burma	5.8	2016	173	East and Southeast Asia
Malawi	5.8	2016	174	Africa
Burkina Faso	5.6	2016	175	Africa
Niger	5.5	2016	176	Africa
Afghanistan	5.5	2016	177	South Asia
Burundi	5.4	2016	178	Africa
Laos	5.3	2016	179	East and Southeast Asia
Uganda	5.3	2016	180	Africa
Madagascar	5.3	2016	181	Africa
Sri Lanka	5.2	2016	182	South Asia
Eritrea	5	2016	183	Africa
Korea, South	4.7	2016	184	East and Southeast Asia
Ethiopia	4.5	2016	185	Africa
Japan	4.3	2016	186	East and Southeast Asia
Nepal	4.1	2016	187	South Asia
Cambodia	3.9	2016	188	East and Southeast Asia
India	3.9	2016	189	South Asia
Timor-Leste	3.8	2016	190	East and Southeast Asia
Bangladesh	3.6	2016	191	South Asia
Vietnam	2.1	2016	192	East and Southeast Asia

Conclusion

Obesity is a global health challenge with multifaceted causes, including insulin resistance, physical inactivity, stress, eating habits, and genetics. Several countries are experiencing high obesity rates, which have significant health and economic implications. Efforts to combat obesity through education, lifestyle changes, and medical interventions remain critical to improving public health worldwide.

For more information on obesity in specific countries, please refer to the respective articles, such as Obesity in the United States, Obesity in Mexico, Obesity in Egypt, Obesity in the United Kingdom, and Obesity in Australia, see links on the page for each country.

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