Obesity around the world

Obesity has plagued millions of Americans and millions more throughout the world, causing an epidemic of overwhelming proportions, yet the only solution for this largely preventable condition has presented itself in the form of diet, sleep, exercise, and regulated medications. Americans are known for their fast food and growing waistline, but how do we compare to the rest of the world?

More than one-third of the U.S. adult population is obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These 78.6 million are at heightened risk for obesity-related conditions, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Treatments for these leading causes of preventable death cost America $147 billion, and the medical costs add up to $1,429 more for an obese patient than someone at a normal, healthy weight, Medical Daily reports.

While some countries have been able to slow the rising rate of weight gain, not a single country on the planet has been able to report a downward trend in the rates of overweight and obesity in the last three decades. The prevalence of those who become overweight and obese is steadily and warily rising in children, adolescents, and consequently adults as well.

In the United States alone, the obesity rates in children doubled, and quadrupled in adolescents during the last 30 years.

Worldwide, obesity has almost doubled since 1980.

However, there is some evidence of a plateau in adult obesity rates that provides some hope that the epidemic might have peaked in some developed countries and that populations in other countries might not reach the very high rates of more than 40 percent reported in some developing countries."

Top 10 Most Obese Countries:

1. United States

2. China

3. India

4. Russia

5. Brazil

6. Mexico

7. Egypt

8. Germany

9. Pakistan

10. Indonesia

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