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Obesity levels, non UK regions and countries

 

WORLD

 

2008, 300 million people were obese (whilst others starved)

 

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WESTERN EUROPE

 

Europe in 2003 saw a rise in obesity of 40% in the previous decade. Former Yugoslavia (see below) tops the Euro-fat league.

In 2006, 21.6 million children are overweight.  In 2006, it is expected that by 2010 the EU will contain 150 million overweight adults and 83 million obese adults, along with 26.7 million overweight children (Eurofood, 14/12/06, p.14). 

 

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Iceland,

2005, 12.4% of adults were obese

 

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Norway

year

Overweight women

Overweight men

Obese women

Obese men

Overweight girls

Overweight boys

Obese girls

Obese boys

1998

 

 

6.0%

6.0%

 

 

 

 

2002

41.0%

63.0%

 

 

21.0%

21.0%

 

 

2003

 

 

10.0%

13.0%

 

 

 

 

2005

 

 

9.0%

9.0%

 

 

 

 

 

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Sweden

year

Overweight women

Overweight men

Obese women

Obese men

Overweight girls

Overweight boys

Obese girls

Obese boys

1985

 

 

5%

5%

 

 

 

 

2000

 

 

8%

8%

 

 

 

 

2002

42%

51%

 

 

 

 

 

 

2005

16.7%

16.7%

10.7%

10.7%

 

 

 

 

 

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Finland

year

Overweight women

Overweight men

Obese women

Obese men

Overweight girls

Overweight boys

Obese girls

Obese boys

2000

 

 

11.0%

11.0%

 

 

 

 

2002

52.0%

68.0%

 

 

13.0%

13.0%

 

 

2003

 

 

20.0%

20.0%

 

 

 

 

2004

 

 

19.0%

19.0%

 

 

 

 

2006

 

 

14.3%

14.3%

 

 

 

 

 

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Denmark,

year

Overweight women

Overweight men

Obese women

Obese men

Overweight girls

Overweight boys

Obese girls

Obese boys

1947

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.4%

0.1%

1961

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.65%

0.15%

1971

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.7%

0.4%

1975

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.6%

0.5%

1985

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.4%

2.3%

1988

 

 

4%

4%

 

 

 

 

1989

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.0%

0.9%

1996

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.6%

2.0%

1998

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.5%

3.0%

2000

 

 

10%

10%

 

 

 

 

2001

 

 

7.5%

7.5%

 

 

 

 

2002

41%

54%

 

 

 

 

1.5%

1.7%

2003

 

 

9.5%

9.5%

 

 

3.5%

3.0%

2004

 

 

9%

10%

 

 

 

 

2005

 

 

11.4%

11.4%

 

 

 

 

 

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Ireland

year

Overweight women

Overweight men

Obese women

Obese men

Overweight girls

Overweight boys

Obese girls

Obese boys

2000

 

 

10.0%

10.0%

 

 

 

 

2003

50.0%

50.0%

14.0%

12.0%

 

 

10.0%

10.0%

2005

39.0%

39.0%

18.0%

18.0%

 

 

 

 

2006

34.0%

34.0%

14.0%

14.0%

 

 

 

 

2007

 

 

25.0%

25.0%

 

 

 

 

 

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Netherlands

year

Overweight women

Overweight men

Obese women

Obese men

Overweight girls

Overweight boys

Obese girls

Obese boys

1981

30%

37%

6%

4%

 

 

 

 

2000

45%

55%

7.5%

7.5%

 

 

 

 

2002

37%

48%

 

 

 

 

 

 

2004

42%

51%

12.0%

10.0%

19.5%

13%

4.5%

3%

2006

 

 

11.3%

11.3%

 

 

 

 

 

‘Obesity Review’ (Vol. 8, Issue 2, pp.101-107, reported that the prevalence of both obesity and overweight people in The Netherlands increases with age, up to the age of 70. A low level of education also predisposed towards excess weight.  Concerning ethnicity, those of Moroccan descent (adults and children) were most prone to obesity, followed by those of Turkish descent; ethnic Dutch were least obese.

 

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Belgium

year

Overweight women

Overweight men

Obese women

Obese men

Overweight girls

Overweight boys

Obese girls

Obese boys

2000

 

 

11.0%

11.0%

 

 

 

 

2002

41.0%

62.0%

 

 

18.0%

18.0%

 

 

2003

 

 

14.0%

14.0%

 

 

 

 

2004

 

 

18.0%

12.0%

 

 

 

 

2010

 

 

14.7%

13.3%

 

 

 

 

 

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Luxembourg

2006, 18.6% of adults were obese

 

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Germany

year

Overweight women

Overweight men

Obese women

Obese men

Overweight girls

Overweight boys

Obese girls

Obese boys

1999

40%

56%

 

 

 

 

 

 

2002

49%

55%

 

 

 

 

 

 

2003

 

 

20%

18%

 

 

 

 

2004

41%

58%

19%

17%

 

 

 

 

2006

36%

36%

14%

14%

 

 

 

 

2010

 

 

15.6%

16.1%

 

 

 

 

 

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Switzerland

year

Overweight women

Overweight men

Obese women

Obese men

Overweight girls

Overweight boys

Obese girls

Obese boys

2000

 

 

7.0%

7.0%

 

 

 

 

2002

22.0%

39.0%

7.7%

7.7%

 

 

 

 

2003

 

 

5.0%

6.0%

24.0%

24.0%

 

 

 

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Austria

2000, 8.5% of adults were obese.

2006, 12.4% of adults were obese

2010, 13.2% of women and 12.4% of men were obese

 

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Mediterranean – see Greece

 

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France

year

Overweight women

Overweight men

Obese women

Obese men

Overweight girls

Overweight boys

Obese girls

Obese boys

1982

16.3%

30.0%

5.3%

5.3%

5%

5%

 

 

1990

17.9%

30.9%

6%

6%

 

 

 

 

2000

 

 

9%

9%

 

 

 

 

2003

21.2%

34.8%

11.3%

11.3%

19%

19%

 

 

2004

 

 

11%

11%

19%

19%

 

 

2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

12%

12%

2006

 

 

10.5%

10.5%

 

 

 

 

2010

 

 

12.7%

11.7%

 

 

 

 

 

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Portugal

year

Overweight women

Overweight men

Obese women

Obese men

Overweight girls

Overweight boys

Obese girls

Obese boys

1996

31%

41%

15%

13%

 

 

 

 

2000

 

 

11%

11%

 

 

 

 

2002

46%

52%

 

 

 

 

 

 

2003

 

 

18%

18%

 

 

 

 

2004

39%

39%

14%

14%

 

 

 

 

2005

 

 

12.9%

12.9%

 

 

 

 

 

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Spain

year

Overweight women

Overweight men

Obese women

Obese men

Overweight girls

Overweight boys

Obese girls

Obese boys

2000

 

 

15.8%

13.4%

 

 

 

 

2002

55%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2003

 

 

13%

13%

27%

27%

 

 

2004

 

 

15%

11%

 

 

14%

14%

2006

35%

35%

14%

14%

 

 

 

 

2010

56%

56%

14.4%

17.0%

27%

27%

 

 

 

Geography and obesity

 

Obesity tended to be higher in the southern provinces of Spain (Obesity Review, 5, 2004, pp.171-2). 16.9% of adults in the southernmost province, Andalucia, were obese, and the three neighbouring provinces all scored between 13.8% and 15% obesity rates. The Madrid region scored 11.9% obesity, as did most of Spain’s north-west regions, excepting the northern Atlantic-coastal regions, where rates were again around 14-16%.  Cataluna province in the far north east scored 10.8% obesity; the lowest rate was Navarra in the north, with 7.5% obesity. There appears to be some negative correlation between regional GDP and obesity rates; in other words, the poorer are more obese.

 

Income, gender, and obesity

 

In Spain, obesity declines with higher income deciles (Costa-Font et al, Food Policy, Vol.33, 2007, pp.61-73).  Amongst women, 24% of the lowest income decile were obese against just 6% in the highest decile.  However the income variation amongst men was far less marked.  Between 13% and 15% of men in all seven lowest deciles were obese, and this only declined to a 10% obesity rate in the highest decile.  Likely, the higher prevalence of manual work in the lower deciles keeps the male obesity rate down.  At the top end, perhaps too much sedentary office work and big boardroom lunches whilst the wives tone up at the gym.

 

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Italy

year

Overweight women

Overweight men

Obese women

Obese men

Overweight girls

Overweight boys

Obese girls

Obese boys

2000

 

 

8.5%

8.5%

 

 

 

 

2002

34%

48%

 

 

 

 

 

 

2003

 

 

10%

10%

36%

36%

29%

29%

2004

 

 

6%

6%

36%

36%

 

 

2006

32%

32%

10.2%

10.2%

 

 

 

 

2010

 

 

9.3%

11.3%

 

 

 

 

 

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Malta

2002, 35% of children overweight or obese

2003 over half of its 10 year old girls over weight or obese. In 2003, 33% of its ten year olds were obese.

2010, 21.1% of women and 24.7% of men were obese

 

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Greece

year

Overweight women

Overweight men

Obese women

Obese men

Overweight girls

Overweight boys

Obese girls

Obese boys

2002

 

 

 

 

31.0%

31.0%

 

 

2003

 

 

29.0%

29.0%

 

 

 

 

2006

 

 

21.9%

21.9%

 

 

 

 

2010

 

 

17.6%

17.6%

 

 

 

 

 

2008 An EU report issued in 2008 stated that obesity in Greece and the rest of the Mediterranean countries was rising faster than in the rest of Europe.  Average daily calorie intake per person in the 15-state EU, 1965-2005, rose by 20%; in the Mediterranean EU states it rose by 30%.  The report blamed the usual suspects; an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, and the decline of home cooking as use of supermarkets and consumption of fast food rises.

 

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Cyprus

2010, 14.5% of women and 16.7% of men were obese

 

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Yugoslavia

2002, 16% of children were overweight or obese

2003 40% of women and 35% of men were obese

 

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Slovenia

2010, 16.3% of women and 17.3% of men were obese

 

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Croatia

2002, 27% of children were overweight or obese

 

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EASTERN EUROPE

 

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Poland,

year

Overweight women

Overweight men

Obese women

Obese men

Overweight girls

Overweight boys

Obese girls

Obese boys

1993

 

 

8.9%

6.3%

 

 

 

 

2000

 

 

11%

11%

 

 

 

 

2003

 

 

15%

6.5%

6%

6%

6%

4%

2004

 

 

12.5%

12.5%

 

 

 

 

2010

 

 

15.8%

17.3%

 

 

 

 

Obesity is more prevalent in the eastern (poorer) regions of Poland.

 

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Estonia

2002, 20% of women and 31% of men were overweight

2010, 20.5% of women and 16.0% of men were obese

 

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Latvia

2002, 41% of women and 41% of men were overweight

2010, 20.9% of women and 12.0% of men were obese

 

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Lithuania

2002, 41% of women and 42% of men were overweight

 

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Czech Republic

year

Overweight women

Overweight men

Obese women

Obese men

Overweight girls

Overweight boys

Obese girls

Obese boys

2002

58.0%

73.0%

 

 

16.0%

16.0%

 

 

2003

 

 

13.0%

13.0%

 

 

 

 

2004

43.0%

67.0%

 

 

10.0%

10.0%

 

 

2005

 

 

17.0%

17.0%

 

 

 

 

2010

 

 

18.3%

18.4%

 

 

 

 

 

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Slovakia

2002, 43% of women and 67% of men were overweight.  10% of children were overweight or obese

2005, 17.6% of adults were obese

2010, 15.7% of women and 14.5% of men were obese

 

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Hungary

year

Overweight women

Overweight men

Obese women

Obese men

Overweight girls

Overweight boys

Obese girls

Obese boys

2000

 

 

19.0%

19.0%

 

 

 

 

2002

38.0%

52.0%

 

 

18.0%

18.0%

 

 

2003

 

 

18.8%

18.8%

 

 

 

 

2006

 

 

21.0%

21.0%

 

 

 

 

2010

 

 

18.8%

21.4%

 

 

 

 

 

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Romania

2002, 59% of women and 60% of men were overweight

2010, 8.0% of women and 7.6% of men were obese

 

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Bulgaria

2002, 20% of children were overweight or obese

2010, 11.3% of wonen and 11.6% of men were obese

 

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FORMER USSR

 

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Russia,

2002, 52% of women and 42% of men were overweight

2003, 18% of adults (10% men, 25% women) obese, and 6% of children were overweight.  

2004, 11% men and 27% women were obese.

 

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Kazakhstan

2002, 47% of women and 33% of men were overweight

 

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Kyrgzystan

2002, 28% of women were overweight

 

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Uzbekistan

2002, 21% of women were overweight

 

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ASIA –Excluding Former USSR

 

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Turkey,

1990, 18.6% of adults were obese

2000, 21.9% of adults were obese

 

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