The highest obesity rate in the world: where is Greece

The highest rate of obesity in the world is recorded on a Pacific island.

Nauru, once known as the “island of joy”, has the highest rate of obesity in the world. Although for many, the phrase “overweight” is associated with America (due to the abundance of unhealthy food), research reveals evidence that refutes this.

An island with picturesque beaches, golden sand and even an underground lake – Nauru, located in the Pacific Ocean, alas, is not at the top of the list of the most beautiful places in the world, but at the top of the list with the highest rates of obesity. In particular, the data show that the island has the highest percentage of “obese people” – 9 out of 10 inhabitants are obese.

On the contrary, Vietnam is characterized as the country with the thinnest people. Only 18.3% of its population is overweight, according to the most recent global study.

The data is taken from a compilation of data from 195 countries in 2016. More than 1/3 or 39% of adults in the world are overweight. It is noted that approximately 64% of Britons and 68% of Americans are obese, writes in.gr. The statistics are from the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, which recorded data (such as body weight) for 128.9 million people between 1975 and 2016. During this time, no country has seen a decline in obesity rates..

Also noteworthy is the fact that all ten countries with the highest levels of obesity in the world were in the Pacific Ocean, and the island of Palau was the second in this indicator. They are followed by the Cook Islands, the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu, which are home to 84.7%, 83.5% and 81.9% of overweight people, respectively. In Kuwait, 73.4% of residents are obese (eleventh place). At the same time, the United States took 15th place, Australia – 25th, and the UK – 30th, in a ranking of 195 countries.

Overweight is defined as body mass index (BMI)equal to or greater than 25, while obesity is recorded for an adult with a BMI of 30 or more.

The BMI of a healthy person, calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters and the result again by height, is between 18.5 and 24.9.

Obesity is a risk factor for many of the world’s leading causes of death, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and various types of cancer.. Obesity-related type 2 diabetes can also lead to complications such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney problems. According to a study in 2017 4.7 million people died prematurely due to obesity.

In the UK, obesity and related diseases cost the public health system an estimated £6.1 billion a year. The body is also believed to be responsible for more than 30,000 deaths each year in this country.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that obesity costs the US healthcare system nearly $173 billion a year.

And how is it with us? In Greece, 6 out of 10 adults are overweight or obese, which corresponds to 62.3% of the population. This is a significant increase, since in 1975 the figure was only 40.5%.

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