CONTENTS
Obesity levels,
non UK regions and countries
WORLD
2008, 300 million people were obese (whilst others starved)
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
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).
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Iceland,
2005, 12.4% of adults were obese
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
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% |
|
|
|
|
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
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% |
|
|
|
|
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
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% |
|
|
|
|
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
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% |
|
|
|
|
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
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% |
|
|
|
|
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
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.
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
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% |
|
|
|
|
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Luxembourg
2006, 18.6%
of adults were obese
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
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% |
|
|
|
|
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
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% |
|
|
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Austria
2000, 8.5% of adults were obese.
2006, 12.4% of adults were obese
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Mediterranean
– see Greece
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
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% |
|
|
|
|
2004, The French Government voted to remove some 8,000 vending machines from secondary schools. These machines sold chocolate, sweets, and fizzy drinks (Eurofood, 9/9/04, p.23)
2006, France had 2 million cases of late-onset diabetes (diabetes II), and heart disease caused 170,000 deaths annually.
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
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% |
|
|
|
|
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
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% |
|
|
|
|
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.
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
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% |
|
|
|
|
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
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.
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
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% |
|
|
|
|
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.
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Yugoslavia
2002, 16% of children were overweight or obese
2003 40% of women and 35% of men were obese
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Croatia
2002, 27% of
children were overweight or obese
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
EASTERN EUROPE
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
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% |
|
|
|
|
Obesity is more prevalent in the eastern (poorer) regions of Poland.
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Estonia
2002, 20% of
women and 31% of men were overweight
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Latvia
2002, 41% of
women and 41% of men were overweight
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Lithuania
2002, 41% of
women and 42% of men were overweight
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
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% |
|
|
|
|
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
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
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
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% |
|
|
|
|
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Romania
2002, 59% of
women and 60% of men were overweight
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Bulgaria
2002, 20% of
children were overweight or obese
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
FORMER USSR
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
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.
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Kazakhstan
2002, 47% of
women and 33% of men were overweight
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Kyrgzystan
2002, 28% of
women were overweight
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Uzbekistan
2002, 21% of
women were overweight
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
ASIA –Excluding Former USSR
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Turkey,
1990, 18.6%
of adults were obese
2000, 21.9%
of adults were obese
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Israel,
2001, of the
adult population aged 25-64, 39.3% were obese and a further 22.9% were obese.
Being overweight was more common amongst men than women; however obesity was
more prevalent amongst women. The (poorer) Arab population was more obese than
the (wealthier) Jewish population.
2002, 51% of women and 59% of men were overweight
2003, 18% of adults were obese.
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Saudi Arabia, 2003, 17% of adults (13% men, 20% women) were obese.
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
United Arab Emirates
1999, 7.8% of
children were overweight, and a further 13.7% were obese. Girls were slightly more prone to be
overweight than boys, non UAE citizens more overweight than UAE citizens, and urban children were more prone
to be overweight than rural.
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Kuwait, 2003, 37% of adults were obese. Obesity increases with age, especially amongst women. The gender bias may be partly due to cultural factors, with women getting out less than men; older people also tended to be more obese, for the same reason.
The Kuwaiti diet tends to be low in fibre, high in sugar, fat (cholesterol), and salt; with increasing wealth, many Kuwaitis eat out and patronise fast food restaurants (Obesity Review, May 2006).
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Iran,
Iran still (2005)
has problems of under nutrition, in some cases severe enough to retard the
growth and normal weight gain associated with child/adolescent growth. However
Iran also has an emerging obesity problem, particularly in its faster-growing
urban population. Obesity Reviews
6, 2005, pp.191-192, stated that in urban areas, 22% of people aged 15-39 and
40% of people aged 40-69 had body weights ‘over the 85th reference
percentile’. For rural areas of Iran the
figures were 16% and 26% respectively.
2003, 20% of adults (10% of men and 30% of women) were obese.
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
India, 2003, 7% of adults were obese. In 2006, The Independent, website 6/8/06, reported on an increasing obesity problem in India due to that country’s economic expansion. 76% of New Delhi women are ‘abdominally obese’ and in all Indian cities, 33% of 15 – 17 year olds are obese; meanwhile in 2004 children were still starving to death in rural West Bengal, and the World bank reports (2006) that 45% of Indian children are malnourished..
Indians may be at increased risk of obesity if the ‘thrifty gene’ theory is true (see 1.1.2.2. above), and that an embryo who detects that their mother is thin switches on certain genes that predispose to weight gain, a good move in a food-scarce environment. Not such a good move when a country moves from poverty and starvation to prosperity and ample fast food within one generation. The fashion for India’s new industrial elite is to drink more alcohol, also Western fast food, almost unknown until recently, has a status value in India. These noveaux riche also get less exercise; they travel to work by car, and many grocery shops, and even furniture and jewellery outlets, will deliver right to their door*. The rich have their own drivers, they even have servants to walk the dog. In 40 degree heat and monsoonal humidity there is little incentive to walk anywhere, especially in Western as opposed to looser Indian clothing.
33 million Indians had diabetes in 2006, obesity being one of the main causes; this is a tenfold increase on 1971. One drastic remedy; stomach stapling, which would cost US$12,500 in New York but can be done in India for as little as US$ 3,000. Just cutting back sufficiently on food may not be an option for the grossly obese, whose stomachs are so large and bodies so big they cannot either exercise or eat less, without feeling unbearable hunger pangs.
*This reversal of the usual positive correlation between obesity and poverty is also seen in China.
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Thailand, 2003, 4% of adults were obese.
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Malaysia
In 2002, 20.7% of adults were overweight
and a further 5.8% were obese. 0.3% of the Malay adult population had a BMI of
over 40. Increasing affluence may have
increased the dietary intake of fats and sugars, whilst reducing the amount of
manual work being done.
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
China
Between the late 1980s and early 1990s the number of people overweight rose from 9% to 15% of the population (The Times, 23/1/2000). This was despite a traditional diet which is vegetable based and has few dairy products.
2003, 15% of men and 16% of women are overweight. This rises to 33% in the wealthier cities such as Beijing.
2004, In the large cities, 30% of adults are overweight, including 12% who are obese (Times II, 29/10/04, p.11). Hypertension now affects almost 20% of the Chinese, a 31% increase in a decade. The prevalence of diabetes has risen from 4.6% in 1998 to 6.4% in 2004.
In a reversal from the usual pattern seen in the West, a Chinese study has found that children from wealthy families are more likely to have a nutritionally poor diet than those of poorer Chinese households (Guardian, 8/1/05, p.18). Chinese children from high income families are more likely to eat a diet rich in fast food, because of the fast-pace of work and life of their parents; their poorer cousins may eat more home-grown vegetables. Also some Chinese parents may judge the nutritional value of food by how expensive it is, leading to over-purchasing of burgers and other fast food. The Guardian article (ibid) also said that as China becomes richer, households shift consumption from vegetables to meat, and especially towards Western-style processed meat and other foods.
2006, 25% of adults were overweight or obese.
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX
Taiwan
|
year |