Which are the Fattest Countries, and Why?

Most counties in the world are facing increased rates of obesity in their populations, unless there’s an actual food shortage.  Before 1980, obesity rates were generally well below 10%.  Since then, rates have doubled or tripled in many countries, and in nearly half the Organization for Co-operative and Economic Development (OECD) countries 50% or more of the population is overweight.  An analysis of the likely reasons for this worldwide epidemic has been published by the OECD, under the title Obesity and the Economics of Prevention.  No firm conclusions have been reached as to the cause, or causes, but one theory is particularly interesting.

The countries with the highest obesity rates are, in order, USA, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, UK, Canada, and Ireland.  Except for Mexico, they have one thing in common – they are all English-speaking.  And there are no English-speaking countries in the next 26 countries listed!  The 10 slimmest countries include Japan, Korea, Switzerland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and Austria, which shows a generous spread across continents, northern and southern lifestyles.  So why do the English-speakers lead the way?  The main theory is that the American lifestyle is responsible.  A common language allows the features of US life to be absorbed and spread more rapidly; Mexico is high on the list because of its proximity to the USA.

And, of course, the main villains in the USA are sodas, fast foods, automobiles, and TV-sitting.  These are easy targets, and yet they are very difficult to combat, once ingrained.  The OECD report examines obesity growth rates for individual countries, and finds socioeconomic trends favoring a US lifestyle-like pattern developing in many of them.  It also summarizes the broad range of actions taken in recent years to try to improve nutrition and physical activity in different countries.  But most governments assert that it is primarily their responsibility to act as a balanced and authoritative source of information, providing clear guidance to individuals who struggle to cope with increasingly powerful external influences.  In other words, educate people, and they will respond by improving their lifestyle – diet, exercise, and no bad habits.  The next 10 years will tell . . .