In this study of 2.7 million Chinese adults from 2014 to 2018, we report >15% women and men with overall obesity and over 35% with abdominal obesity.
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.
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%.
According to the report, 50.7% of Chinese adults are overweight, including those who are obese. In a country of 1.4 billion, that amounts to more than half a billion people – more than the entire US population. That's a sharp increase over the past two decades.
China faces a substantial burdensome pandemic of obesity. Recent data from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention suggested that over an estimated 8.1% of Chinese adults (85 million Chinese adults) had obesity in 2018, which was three times the level in 2004.
Australia ranked 9th out of 21 countries with available data for the proportion of people aged 15 and over who were living with overweight or obesity (65%) – this was greater than the OECD average of 60%.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Adult obesity statistics
The New Zealand Health Survey 2020/21 found that: around 1 in 3 adults (aged 15 years and over) were classified as obese* (34.3%), up from 31.2% in 2019/20. there was a significant increase from 2019/20 to 2020/21 for women (31.9% to 35.9%), but not for men.
In China, one out of every five children is overweight or obese, up from just one in 20 in 1995, and the nation's booming economy might be driving the increase, according to a new study.
Findings. Diabetes prevalence in Chinese adults aged 20–79 years was projected to increase from 8.2% to 9.7% during 2020–2030. During the same period, the total costs of diabetes would increase from $250.2 billion to $460.4 billion, corresponding to an annual growth rate of 6.32%.
According to self-reported data from 2019-2020, 46.6% of women and 60.5% of men in Germany are affected by overweight (including obesity). Nearly one-fifth of adults (19%) have obesity. Prevalence of overweight and obesity rise with increasing age.
The Health Survey for England 2021 estimates that 25.9% of adults in England are obese and a further 37.9% are overweight but not obese. Obesity is usually defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above. BMI between 25 and 30 is classified as 'overweight'.
Rates of obesity are higher in Māori and Pacific Islanders. Obesity is typically caused by an imbalance between the energy taken in through food and the energy burned off through physical activity, ie, eating too much and moving too little.
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.
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.
The biggest increases in excess weight gain are from childhood to early adulthood. Many Australians consume more energy than they need through unhealthy diets that are high in sugar, saturated and/or trans fats and alcohol.
Inactivity is the New Normal
Lack of exercise is also a major culprit in the obesity epidemic. It's been decades since most Americans worked in fields and on factory floors, a far greater majority of us are sitting throughout our workday. This means less exercise each day.
Around 50 % of adults in Sweden are overweight or obese. Obesity is among the main five risk factors in Sweden for healthy years of life being lost. A high body mass index (BMI ≥ 25) is associated with an increased risk of several chronic diseases.
Nutrient transmission (change in diet) is the primary cause of the obesity epidemic in the Pacific Islands, with a high amount of imported foods high in salt and fat content grow.