Over the past century, people have begun to gain weight several times faster. The World Health Organization announced that between 1980 and 2014, the number of people who are overweight has doubled. In the United States alone, more than two-thirds of the adult population is overweight. And that must be a world leader, right? Believe it or not, America is not even among the top ten countries where obesity rates are off the charts. It takes only 16th place, being located between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Yes, that's right. There are at least 15 more countries with more waistlines than the United States.
Countries that are members of the UN are represented here. For example, Tokelau, the 4th most obese country, does not appear on our list as, technically, it is part of New Zealand. Well, let's test tummies from all over the world. Also take a look at the article 5 Ways to Overcome Your Love of Fast Food.
10. Bahamas
The 10th most overweight country in the world. 36.6% of the total population are overweight. For several years, the government has been sounding the alarm about this situation, but to no avail.
The problem is that the food on this island is extremely unhealthy. In early 2017, the local newspaper 'Trubine' reported that locals were eating massive amounts of rice, pasta, fried chicken and fast food. Nobody eats vegetables. From a young age, children learn to drink soda instead of regular water.
We should be grateful for all these things of urbanization, which has had a powerful impact on the island over the past 20 years. As soon as people began to travel to cities, they also began to make their way to places like McDonald's and Chick-Fil-A, and to all other places that trade and produce fast food.
9. Federated States of Micronesia
Take a map of the world. See the huge blue spot stretching between Indonesia and Hawaii? Somewhere in between is the Federated States of Micronesia. The group of 600 islands is divided among four countries (like the UK divided into four, which are combined together to be one super-nation; something in the style of Power Rangers).
It is believed that one third of adults (33.2%) are obese, even slightly less than in the Bahamas. But the percentage of Micronesians suffering from excess fat is 80%. There remains one fifth of the population with “slim waist». The reason for this phenomenon is as follows.: simple non-observance of proper nutrition after the urbanization of the world. The same prerequisites will be mentioned below.
8. Saint Kitts and Nevis
A tiny country with two islands in the middle of the Caribbean ring that sweeps across the arc from Cuba to Venezuela, Saint Kitts and Nevis is a true paradise on Earth. More than 40% of the 54,000 people in the population are classified as obese. 75% of women and 66% of men carry a few extra layers of fat around them.
The reason for this is a common occurrence - food. Processed meals and lots of sodas are enough to kill a horse. Local authorities reprimanded fast food for the fact that the population had such problems with being overweight.
In 2012, the Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Patrick Martin, stated: “The only exercise that some (our) children do is move the hand that holds the mouse away from the computer". Saint Kitts and Nevis is the thickest country in the Caribbean.
7. Kuwait
The state of Kuwait has an overweight rate of 42%. This is still nothing. Overweight people make up 88% of the population. This means that you can place a group of 10 randomly selected Kuwaitis in a room, and all but one will have to turn sideways to enter the door.
This epidemic of fatness can be attributed to one person: Saddam Hussein. When the US made it its mission to liberate Kuwait, US bases brought with them not only protection, but also fast food. After the withdrawal of the American soldiers, McDonald’s still remained. The climate also affects - the midday heat is so high (50 ° C) that it will make you forget about any exercise: this is the whole secret of the thickest country in the Middle East.
6. Marshall Islands
Earlier in the story about Micronesia, we indicated that the inhabitants of the Federated States of Micronesia were worried about atomic tests, and the Marshall Islands were just the place where these bombs exploded. Over the past 60 years, places like Bikini Atoll have been so exposed to radiation that families will no longer be able to return to their homes. Despite the fact that there are over 1,150 separate islands, most of the population of the Marshall Islands today is concentrated in only a few atolls.
For centuries, the inhabitants of this state were slim and flexible, because they ate only coconuts and fish. After World War II, everything changed. Until 1945, foods such as corned beef littered the atolls of the Marshall Islands. It wasn't long before the islanders sorted out the taste of these super-processed snacks, and in 2008 things got so bad that officials were forced to speak publicly about the dangers of corned beef. Today, the country's obesity rate is about 45.4%.
5. Kiribati
You might have noticed that every single country on the list is located on a Pacific island. In the decades following World War II, almost every country in the region was exposed to "fatness epidemic” which may disappear due to being below sea level The obesity rate of the population is 46%.
As with everywhere else on this list, the problem seems to be related to overconsumption of fast food. The diabetes rate is around 30% and the overall overweight rate is around 80%. But getting people to eat healthy foods is not easy. People in Kiribati are not very rich, and junk food is much cheaper than the same fresh fish. From an economic point of view, being fat is cheaper.
4. Palau
Palau is an impressively tiny country. It has an area of only 466 sq. km. The population barely exceeds 20,000. Its largest city, Koror, is essentially one street with a couple of dead ends. However, in Palau, about 50% of the population is overweight.
Interestingly, some scientists in recent years have begun to articulate theories about the cause of the fat content of the islanders of the Pacific Islands. For instance, Thrifty genewhich supposedly came from the Polynesians. The idea is as follows: in the past, the inhabitants of the Pacific islands have evolved to the point that their bodies retained as much fat as possible to withstand the long sea voyages they often made. So the bodies of the Pacific islanders cling to these calories like drowning people clinging to debris. "Titanic».
3. Samoa
Want a fun fact before starting your story about Samoa? If American Samoa were a country, it would be number one on this list. The obesity rate is almost 75%, making it the most "bold»A place on Earth.
Surprisingly, since 2004, Samoa has been on the "peak of health". After the government announced “state of emergency"Associated with obesity, thousands of Samoans have entered group training, mass classes in Zumba. Today the average Samoan exercises two hours a day. However, rates of obesity and diabetes continue to skyrocket.
One of the reasons is the high prices for corned beef. Because canned food is expensive, eating it has become a status symbol. So, more Samoans now eat corned beef than when it was cheaper, thereby fueling "epidemic»Obesity.
2. Tonga
When King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV of Tonga passed away in 2006, he was famous throughout the world. Not because he was a noble or exemplary statesman, but because of his uneasy waist circumference. He weighed almost 200 kg. He was by far the fattest ruler in all of world history.... It was not because he ate all the food on the island, but because his people were starving. No, he was the owner of a typical figure characteristic of the area.
60% of the Tongan population is obese and 40% have type 2 diabetes. This is because traditionally in Tongan society, fat was perceived as beautiful. If you are fat in Tonga, then you are rich and strong, and also desirable for women. On the other hand, if you are thin, then you are probably poor losers.
1. Nauru
Nauru's absolute obesity levels are breathtaking. Nauru is a tiny island country located just outside Australia. It covers only 21 square kilometers and has a population of only 10,084. It is the only nation on Earth that does not have a capital. But there is more to Nauru. 71.1% of the population is obese.
This is much higher than anywhere else on Earth, which officials call disastrous. The drunkenness is out of control. Diabetic limb amputations are common. If a Nauruan is over 60 years old, then he has surpassed everyone.
This may in part be due to the crazy economic changes that Nauru has seen over the past few decades. In the 1980s, phosphate mining made it the richest country in terms of GDP per capita on Earth. She also destroyed the island, leaving it a barren, barely inhabited desert. Earnings have since collapsed. Unsurprisingly, people are turning to booze and cheap food.
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In addition to these 10 countries, the percentage of obesity is higher than the norm in other localities as well. In this video, you can find out where else this problem has become a national disaster.
