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USA is the fattest of 33 countries—OECD report
by Neka Sehgal - September 24, 2010 - comments
According to the OECD report, two-thirds of the people in U.S. are overweight, and about a third of the adults are obese which is defined as being nearly 30 pounds above normal weight.
According to a new report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released Thursday, obesity levels have reached endemic proportions and the overweight problem is fast becoming a major public health concern in many industrialized nations.
Estimates from the survey by OECD reveal that people of the world's richest countries are getting fatter and fatter with the U.S. leading the change.
America occupies the top slot with a portly population of over 70 percent among the 33 leading economies of the world.
Close on heels comes Mexico which bagged the second place, and Chile is in the third slot, with England and Australia not far behind.
The skinniest nations are Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland, where only three in ten people are overweight and less than one in ten are obese.
According to the report, two-thirds of the people in U.S. are overweight, and about a third of the adults are obese which is defined as being nearly 30 pounds above normal weight.
"If recent trends continue, projections suggest that more than 2 out of 3 people will be overweight or obese in at least some OECD countries within the next 10 years," the OECD said in the study "Obesity and the Economics of Prevention."
Obesity, a risk factor for several health problems
Obesity is a known risk factor for several disorders, such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory problems (asthma), and musculoskeletal diseases (arthritis).
Studies have established that the lifespan of an obese person is up to eight to 10 years shorter than that of a normal-weight person. In addition, obesity also increases health care costs.
"If recent trends continue, projections suggest that more than 2 out of 3 people will be overweight or obese in at least some OECD countries within the next 10 years." -- OECD wrote in the study "Obesity and the Economics of Prevention"
Some reasons for the obesity surge
There are several reasons for the obesity surge. The major reasons are unhealthy eating and excessive calorie consumption, genetic predisposition, altered living and working conditions, reduction in the amount of daily physical activity, increased stress levels, and longer working hours.
"Food is much cheaper than in the past, in particular food that is not particularly healthy, and people are changing their lifestyles, they have less time to prepare meals and are eating out more in restaurants," said Franco Sassi, the OECD senior health economist.
OECD’s recommendations
Weight problems could be simply be combated through better consultation with family doctors and an improved understanding of nutrition.
Diet changes and physical exercise can help tackle obesity.
Apart from promoting a healthy lifestyle, preventing obesity in childhood will be an effective approach in the long term.
Family-based and school-based programs can help. Also, compulsory food labeling and co-operation from manufacturers and distributors to stop promoting unhealthy foods that contribute to obesity would check the problem.
Matthias Rumpf, a spokesman for the OECD stated, “This is the first time we looked at obesity and drew up recommendations, because obesity is a growing threat to public health in all the advanced countries throughout the world.
"We have to find the most effective and cost-efficient way to deal with the problem. Countries can learn from each other, and the best and most effective policies can be used in all countries."