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How fat is YOUR country - and which nations have the highest obesity rates? These new maps may surprise you...• The Pacific Islands, east of Australia, top the list of countries with the highest percentage of their populations obese
• Experts have blamed the soaring obesity rates on nations colonising the islands and introducing Western diets
• British, American and French colonisers tried to 'civilise' the nations' eating habits after the Second World War
• Their fishing and farming industries died out and the countries became reliant on foreign imports like rice and sugar
• Scale shows epidemic of fatness, with high levels of obesity across most of Europe, the Middle East and the U.S.
By MADLEN DAVIES FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 12:39, 22 January 2015 | UPDATED: 18:15, 23 January 2015
You might think the U.S. is the most obese nation in the world - but if you do, you are wrong.
Soaring rates of obesity in the Pacific Islands, nations in the South Pacific Ocean east of Australia and Fiji, have shot to the top of the worldwide obesity scale.
Previously it has been theorised that Pacific Islanders are genetically predisposed to obesity.
But experts now say the introduction of Western diets to the islands are to blame for the problem.
American Samoa, found south of Samoa, tops the chart, with 75 per cent of the population reported as obese.
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Page 1 of 14How fat is YOUR country - and which nations have the highest obesity rates? These n...
02/02/2015http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2920219/How-fat-country-nations-highest-o...
Graphic shows an epidemic of obesity across most of the U.S., Europe, Australia and the Middle East. The scale shows the percentage of each
country's populations that is defined as obese, with a Body Mass Index of over 30. The Pacific Islands, east of Australia, are the countries with
the largest percentage of their population reported as obese. In American Samoa, three quarters of the population is dangerously fat
Most of Africa and south Asia are shown in turquoise, with low levels of obesity, while most of the U.S., Europe, Australia, the Middle East are
shown in orange, indicating high levels of obesity
Nauru and the Cook Islands, also found in the South Pacific Ocean, come in second and third places with 71 per cent and 63 per cent of the population obese.
The islands were colonised by Australian, American, New Zealand, British or French nations after the Second World War, and the diets and social changes introduced blamed for soaring obesity rates.
These colonising nations sought to ‘civilise’ the islanders and introduce ‘proper’ food habits, research has shown.
They encouraged dependency on imported food, meaning the local fishing and farming industries on the islands died out.
Traditional foods of the islands such as fresh fish, meat and local fruits and vegetables have been replaced by rice, sugar, flour, canned meats, canned fruits and vegetables, soft drinks and beer.
Oxford University researchers said these newly introduced foods are ‘energy-dense, nutrient poor’ products which have led to rising levels of obesity.
These Western foods also became a sign of social status among the islanders, research published in the Journal of Public Health Nutrition found.
Islanders were taught to fry their fish, rather than eat it raw as they had done before.
These social changes happened very quickly because of the islands being small and populated by close knit communities.
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Page 2 of 14How fat is YOUR country - and which nations have the highest obesity rates? These n...
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The Pacific Islands and Kuwait are top of the global obesity scale. American Samoa tops the chart, with 75 per cent of the population reported
as obese. Nauru and the Cook Islands, also found in the South Pacific Ocean, come in second and third places with 71 per cent and 63 per cent
of the population obese
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One theory is that the Pacific Islanders are genetically pre-disposed to become obese. However, Oxford University researchers say food
preparation and cooking habits brought in by Western nations are to blame. The islands' farming and fishing industries were destroyed and
they began to rely on foreign imports of foods like rice and sugar, they said
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In the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, 33 per cent of the population is obese, with the UK and Australia not far behind with 27 per cent of the population
dangerously fat. Nutritionists warn obesity-related diseases like heart disease and diabetes are now the world's biggest killers
The colonising nations also introduced mining, making land that had previously been used for food gathering infertile.
Pollution from colonial shipping also degraded reefs, which were formerly a rich food source.
Professor Stanley Ulijaszek, of the University of Oxford, said: ‘Previous attempts to explain the disproportionately high rates of obesity in these and other island nations have tended to focus on the geographical isolation of islands and the risk of food shortages.
'Theories have suggested that islanders are genetically predisposed to putting on weight, but we believe this does not explain why obesity has emerged so rapidly on these islands.
'Interventions that tap into the naturally occurring social networks on the islands provide a new, and we believe more effective, way of tackling obesity.’
Bangladesh and Ethiopia came joint last on the list, with 1 per cent of people in these countries carrying too much weight.
Nepal, came second to bottom, with just over 1 per cent of the population reported to be obese.
In fact, the map reveals extremely low obesity rates over most of Africa and south Asia.
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Page 5 of 14How fat is YOUR country - and which nations have the highest obesity rates? These n...
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The UK has almost 27 per cent obesity whereas France, Italy and Sweden fared considerably better with a less than 10 per cent rate of obesity
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Page 6 of 14How fat is YOUR country - and which nations have the highest obesity rates? These n...
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In the U.S. a third of the population is obese. Nutritionist Katrina Mather says highly processed, sugar-rich convenience foods and drinks are to
blame for high obesity, and the chronic disease it causes. She says the levels of sugar consumed in Western nations like the U.S. and Canada is
'frankly alarming'. She said: 'Sugar is addictive, leading to food craving and overeating - combined with the fact that highly processed foods are
devoid of nutrients and as a result don't satisfy hunger'
Experts have said there are high levels of malnutrition in these areas of the world, with some people struggling the calories needed to reach their full physical potential.
Greg Barrow, of the World Food Programme Office, explains: ‘From west Africa, central Africa, to the horn of Africa to Asia, we see high levels of under nutrition.'
‘In Ethiopia, Bangladesh and Nepal in particular, large sectors of the population struggle to have access to the calories they need.
'They also struggle to access the vitamins and minerals they need to reach their full physical and intellectual potential.
‘It’s been recognised in studies, that the largest number of people malnourished live in south Asia, and this graph is drawing on that.
‘They have rapidly growing population and the food demands are high.
‘The largest proportion of populations malnourished occurs in sub Saharan Africa.
‘These are parts of the world where there are high levels of poverty. People are unable to buy the most nutritious food for their families.
‘In Ethiopia you have an economy based on subsistence farming - farmers making enough food to feed themselves and their families.
There is a range of obesity rates across central America. Panama (pictured in orange) has an obesity rate of 25 per cent. Comparably, in
Honduras (pictured in green), 18 per cent of the population is obese
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Page 7 of 14How fat is YOUR country - and which nations have the highest obesity rates? These n...
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There is a range of obesity rates across central America. Panama (pictured in orange) has an obesity rate of 25 per cent. Comparably, in
Honduras (pictured in green), 18 per cent of the population is obese
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Page 8 of 14How fat is YOUR country - and which nations have the highest obesity rates? These n...
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Obesity rates across South America also vary. In Argentina (pictured in orange), 30 per cent of the population is obese, which is almost as high
as rates in the U.S. and Saudia Arabia. Brazil (pictured in green) has an obesity rate of 19 per cent
'Climate change can make it difficult for farmers to feed their family and make a living from their produce at market.
‘But many of these countries have made great strides compared to where we were 20 years ago.'
The map, created using data from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, shows the global obesity crisis is still a growing issue, as every continent faces a weight issue.
The results show the rising epidemic of fatness across the globe, with high levels of obesity across most of Europe, the Middle East and North America.
In the UK, more than 25 per cent of the population is reported as obese, whereas France, Italy and Sweden fared considerably better, with an obesity rate of less than 10 per cent.
In the U.S., 33 per cent of people are obese, while 27 per cent of Australians carry too much weight.
A person is considered obese if they have a Body Mass Index (BMI) is over 30, and severely obese if they have a BMI of over 40.
Nutritionist Katrina Mather said: 'Preventable chronic diseases, often linked to obesity, are now the world's biggest killers.
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There are low levels of obesity throughout most of Africa. Ethiopia (pictured in the east, in turquoise) was the country with the lowest level of
obesity, at just over one per cent. Experts said there are high levels of poverty in Africa. People are unable to access the calories they need to
fulfil their physical and intellectual potential, Greg Burrows, of the World Food Programme, said
'And if you look at the countries where obesity and chronic disease have their strongest hold and try to understand what has been done differently in recent history - the common denominator is a massive shift in what these nations eat and drink.
'My research points the finger at highly processed, sugar-rich convenience foods and drinks lying behind all forms of chronic disease and obesity.
'In non-Western cultures, where traditional diets predominantly consist of unprocessed foods and are low in sugar, it takes only one generation of people eating a more typical Western diet, high in sugar and refined flour, to become predisposed to obesity and develop diabetes.
This is true around the world from Inuit to isolated African communities.
'Considering the time and effort it would take to yield just one teaspoon of sugar from chewing on a sugar cane, highlights that the 'normal Western' consumption of sugar in the form of sweets, convenience foods and soft drinks, is frankly alarming.
'Sugar is addictive, leading to food craving and overeating - combined with the fact that highly processed foods are devoid of nutrients and as a result don't satisfy hunger.
'So, a vicious circle then develops, leading to a society that is over-fed but under-nourished. Unfortunately no additional amount of the same food will make up for the missing essential nutrients.
'And overeating leads to obesity whilst stressing the body, which in turn can lead to the onset of chronic disease.'
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Similary, south Asia shows low levels of obesity, compared with high levels in the Middle East and Australia and New Zealand. In India, less
than two per cent of the populaiton is obese, whereas more than 33 per cent of the population in Egypt has a BMI of over 30. South Asian
countries have rising populations and high demands for food, experts say, but much of the population still struggles to access enough calories
The graphics were created by Clinic Compare.
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Comments (492)Share what you think
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TonyT, toronto, Canada, 1 week ago
Based on what data? It would be interesting to know
19
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Rafael, London, 1 week ago
does Obesity don't include bellies that almost all Indians got???
1117
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erwin montgomery, melbourne, Australia, 1 week ago
The 'belly' you refer to is caused by starvation, and is totally 180 from obese bellies.
14
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Lola C, London, United Kingdom, 1 week ago
Maybe it's classified as "overweight" which is a light version of obesity.
03
Nicholas, Birmingham UK, 1 week ago
walking the streets suggests that as many as 90% of women are obese in the UK.
Page 12 of 14How fat is YOUR country - and which nations have the highest obesity rates? Thes...
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The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
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2 of 3 replies See all replies
622
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erwin montgomery, melbourne, Australia, 1 week ago
85% of statistics are made up, and 7% of the population will agree with me.
14
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Lola C, London, United Kingdom, 1 week ago
British men are the same, only that have no reason for that. At least women need fat for childrearing, men are just lazy.
15
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masterstroke, Moscow, Russia, 1 week ago
trashy study
113
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KylieM MD, Singapore, Singapore, 1 week ago
What I don't get is why do I see a lot of people drink soda in every meal? And everything else they eat in between has to be gulp down with 20oz cola. Is water not good enough anymore? And another thing stop with the artificial sweeteners because it just makes a person crave for more food. Most of the time I see the problem as food being use as emotional reinforcement and no one cares about portion control anymore.
127
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someguyyouknew, Beech Grove, United States, 1 week ago
Speaking as an American, I can confirm we no longer use cars, we have evolved into a higher form of obesity, we now roll our way to places, using the almost perfectly round shape of our bodies as a human sized hamster ball
248
Click to rate
Radagast, Cork, Ireland, 1 week ago
1) Breakdown of traditional diets 2) Replacement with processed foods because of work commitments 3) Hidden fats 4) Dwarf wheat introduced in 60's increasing hunger cravings 5) Promotion of 'Low fat' diet in 60's and replacement of saturated fats with seed oils and trans-fats, why the hell wouldn't we be getting fatter?
216
Click to rate
vanityfair, London UK, United Kingdom, 1 week ago
And dont forget fructose or corn syrup in fizzy drinks that actually switch of the enzyme that tells you when you are full so you keep eating. That is why many fast food outlets Nandos, KFC McDs etc now offer drink all you can fizzy drinks for a fixed price
112
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Lola C, London, United Kingdom, 1 week ago
I never cook I have always been slim. It's not what you eat, it's how much of it.
24
Click to rate
OLIVIER, Somewhere, Mauritius, 1 week ago
I'm not surprised, if you have ever watched docs abt these Islands in the Pacific, people always tends to be portly !
08
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Weah, Sydneysyder, Australia, 1 week ago
I'm British and in my time there, all I ever saw on most streets is land whales gorging on crisps and bikkies with looks that gave me a fright. I gave up and relocated down under.Now im happily married to a princess and having spent the last thirty odd years here, my conclusion is people here are way healthier than in Britain. Im sorry but I don't intend to come back.Peace be with you fellow brits.
1121
Click to rate
vanityfair, London UK, United Kingdom, 1 week ago
People are even fatter here than when you were last present. The women are the worst with many wearing leggings or tracksuit bottoms with elasticated waists
310
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erwin montgomery, melbourne, Australia, 1 week ago
Are they fat because of what they eat or who they eat?
11
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Vojta, Prague, Czech Republic, 1 week ago
Theres no way Czech Rep. is this fat, dont tell me, that Greece or UK are more fit, its more like 25%.
39
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Dave, Wimbledon, United Kingdom, 1 week ago
Whatever you say, podgy.
1985
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