According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the most obese countries are primarily located in the Pacific and the Middle East. The Pacific island nations of Nauru, Cook Islands, and Palau have the highest rates of obesity, with over 30% of their populations being classified as obese.
The findings mean Australia is the world's most overweight nation, ahead of the notoriously super-sized Americans, who have a 25 per cent obesity rate.
The nations with the highest obesity rates tend to cluster in the South Pacific, with Kiribati and Tonga leading the world in projected 2035 obesity rates at 67%, followed by Samoa at 66%, French Polynesia at 65%, and Micronesia at 64%. The U.S. registers near the top, with a rate of 58%.
It shows Australia had the 6th highest proportion for overweight and obesity combined (65%), and the 5th highest proportion for obesity (30%). These were higher than the OECD averages of 59% and 24% respectively.
The rise in obesity has been attributed to poor eating habits in the country closely related to the availability of fast food since the 1970s, sedentary lifestyles and a decrease in the labour workforce.
Overweight and obesity
Tasmania had the highest rate of adults who were overweight or obese (70.9%), compared with Australian Capital Territory (64.0%) who had the lowest.
Japan's success in avoiding the obesity problem faced by most of the western world is down to three main factors: an appreciation of good food from cradle to grave, a lifestyle that encourages incidental exercise, and a large dollop of paternalism.
Previously, it was thought that Pacific Islanders were genetically predisposed to obesity, but new research indicates that it may be the result of the introduction of Western diets to the islands.
Obesity in China is a major health concern according to the WHO, with overall rates of obesity between 5% and 6% for the country, but greater than 20% in some cities where fast food is popular.
Aussie men are the second most obese in OECD countries - Aussie men have the second highest rates of obesity (32%) among 23 OECD countries, behind the USA (38%). Aussie women fared better than men but are still obese at a higher rate than the OECD average.
The obesity risk in Vietnam could be low due to factors such as the local cuisine which are mostly organic with a low percentage of oil. The food is not much processed and mostly fresh, and the variety of ingredients used crates balanced meals.
Obesity in New Zealand
New Zealand has the third highest adult obesity rate in the OECD, and our rates continue to increase. One in three adult New Zealanders (over 15 years) is classified as obese, and one in ten children.
Chile, the longest and thinnest country in the world, stretches between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It has customs as diverse as its landscapes, ranging from the driest desert in the world to millenary glaciers that are still waiting to be discovered.
Prevalence of Overweight and Health Problems
We found that 10.5% of the men and 14.5% of the women in the US are obese; in contrast, obesity is almost nonexistent among older persons in Japan: only 0.9% of Japanese men and 2.3% of Japanese women are obese.
In addition, Aboriginal people, specifically, contend with the loss of traditional lands, and poor dietary behaviours due to the transition from traditional to Western diets as a result of colonisation.
“This high prevalence of obesity among Samoans is a relatively recent phenomenon,” Arslanian notes. It appears to be “heavily influenced by globalization” and “the shift from subsistence agriculture to excess consumption of high calorie, processed foods and sedentary lifestyles.”
The situation in Australia
In Australia, 63.4 per cent of adults and 24 per cent of children are considered overweight or obese, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
According to this data, the percent of obese adults in Korea was 34.6 percent in 2018, far higher than the 5.9 percent reported by the OECD for Korea. The Korean agency put the percentage of obese adults here at 37.1 percent in 2021.
Congratulations Adelaide, we're officially the healthiest city in the nation! Adelaide, tying with Gold Coast, has been named the healthiest cities in Australia in a new study by Mandoe Media, with Melbourne, Perth and Sydney rounding out the top 5.
Tasmania has been named the unhealthiest state in the country with the highest stress levels, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure and smoking rates.
Tamworth has been crowned the fattest town in Australia, with almost two-thirds of its adult residents classified as obese. The NSW town has an astonishing 61.2 per cent obesity rate, compared to a 31.3 per cent rate nationally. This is the equivalent to an average 172cm man weighing an incredible 90kg or more.