Are people getting fatter? | The Economist
- 5 years ago
A big problem: An animated infographic that defines obesity, shows rising obesity rates in different regions, and illustrates data supporting the link between obesity and serious health problems, such as diabetes. You also find out how many healthy years of life are lost through being overweight.
People often suffered from too little to eat; today's ills come from consuming too much
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The world is getting wider and that's a big problem. Since 1980 obesity rates among adults have nearly doubled worldwide, with even faster growth in emerging markets such as Brazil, South Africa, and Mexico.
In 2008 one in three adults globally was too fat. a common measure for obesity is a person's body mass index, or BMI, which compares the ratio of weight to height. A 175cm, or 5 foot 9, man weighing more than 77 kilograms or 170 pounds would have a BMI greater than 25, and thus considered overweight.
By this measure two-thirds of American adults are overweight and an alarming 36% of adults are not just overweight but obese with a BMI above 30. If current trends continue nearly half of American adults may be obese by 2030.
This is bad for health but not all fat is created equal. Most harmful is a plump midsection with visceral fat packed around the organs. This can bring diabetes, heart disease, and other ailments. As people become fatter they are growing sicker. Incidents of diabetes has grown virtually everywhere. Excess fat is blamed for a surge in chronic diseases. 44% of the burden of diabetes, 23% of ischemic heart disease, and as much as 41% of different types of cancer.
This is straining healthcare systems. More people are living with ailments brought by obesity, especially in the Middle East and Oceania. And unlike smoking, which kills, obese people are sicker for longer.
Some blame the weighty problem on sugary drinks and fast-food restaurants, which have invaded emerging markets. Soft drink sales more than doubled worldwide over the past decade but more than quadrupled in India, Brazil, and China.
Among possible solutions governments may try to cut the portion size of junk food or make school lunches healthier. Some may complain of the nanny state. It marks an incredible turning point - for most of history man has worried about eating too little, today, many ailments come from consuming too much.
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People often suffered from too little to eat; today's ills come from consuming too much
Subscribe NOW to The Economist: http://econ.st/1Fsu2Vj
The world is getting wider and that's a big problem. Since 1980 obesity rates among adults have nearly doubled worldwide, with even faster growth in emerging markets such as Brazil, South Africa, and Mexico.
In 2008 one in three adults globally was too fat. a common measure for obesity is a person's body mass index, or BMI, which compares the ratio of weight to height. A 175cm, or 5 foot 9, man weighing more than 77 kilograms or 170 pounds would have a BMI greater than 25, and thus considered overweight.
By this measure two-thirds of American adults are overweight and an alarming 36% of adults are not just overweight but obese with a BMI above 30. If current trends continue nearly half of American adults may be obese by 2030.
This is bad for health but not all fat is created equal. Most harmful is a plump midsection with visceral fat packed around the organs. This can bring diabetes, heart disease, and other ailments. As people become fatter they are growing sicker. Incidents of diabetes has grown virtually everywhere. Excess fat is blamed for a surge in chronic diseases. 44% of the burden of diabetes, 23% of ischemic heart disease, and as much as 41% of different types of cancer.
This is straining healthcare systems. More people are living with ailments brought by obesity, especially in the Middle East and Oceania. And unlike smoking, which kills, obese people are sicker for longer.
Some blame the weighty problem on sugary drinks and fast-food restaurants, which have invaded emerging markets. Soft drink sales more than doubled worldwide over the past decade but more than quadrupled in India, Brazil, and China.
Among possible solutions governments may try to cut the portion size of junk food or make school lunches healthier. Some may complain of the nanny state. It marks an incredible turning point - for most of history man has worried about eating too little, today, many ailments come from consuming too much.
Get more The Economist
Follow us: https://twitter.com/TheEconomist
Like us: https://www.facebook.com/TheEconomist
View photos: https://instagram.com/theeconomist/
The Economist videos give authoritative insight and opinion on international news, politics, business, finance, science, technology and the connections between them.