What are the top 15 most obese countries

Weighing the responsibility of individuals against the duty of government is a heavy task, and the global obesity epidemic is a key staging ground for that debate. In the last century, food scarcity for many developed countries vanished nearly overnight. Yet, because the metabolisms of many people had adapted to survive long periods of famine, super-abundance quickly became a curse. Cheap sugars and fats have become dietary mainstays worldwide, but they have wrought societal havoc in one particular corner of the planet. Pacific island countries currently account for the top five in high BMI prevalency, and island countries are more than half of the top 20, in percentage of obese adults. The danger is imminent: high BMI rates often result in widespread cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and a shorter lifespan.

What is BMI?

Body Mass Index, also known as BMI, is a simple way to measure a person's body weight in relation to their height. To calculate it, you divide the person's weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters. This method is often used in studies to estimate obesity rates in large groups of people because it is easy to calculate and non-invasive. In general, a healthy BMI is between 18.5 to 24.9; to be above or below is to be underweight or overweight, with obesity beginning at 30.0.

However, BMI is not a perfect measure. One major drawback is that it cannot tell the difference between muscle and fat. That means a very muscular person might be classified as overweight according to their BMI, even if they're actually in great physical shape. Also, BMI doesn't take into account where body fat is located, which can influence health risks.

Despite these limitations, BMI is still useful as a general guide to assess weight at the population level. It is a tool that scales well for large groups, making it practical for studies.

An even more accurate way to measure body composition would be to determine a person's body-fat percentage. Yet, even this method has its own set of challenges: for one thing, data collection is difficult, which is an issue that the simpler BMI metric already struggles with.

Tonga - 77.1% of Adults are Obese

Like many South Pacific countries, Tonga is actually a collection of hundreds of islands: 170, to be exact. Their history of oceanic travel means that they have a typical diet of fish, root vegetables, and coconuts. Until that is, the 20th century abruptly invaded their culture with Western notions of "better." In the same way that Western housing began to be preferred to the traditional housing aesthetic, diet also changed. Most of the imports that they receive from the West consist of heavily fatty foods mutton flaps, which are considered unfit for consumption in countries like New Zealand. So, a Tongan spear-fisherman might spend the day collecting expensive fish to sell at the markets and then consume an incredible amount of cheap, unhealthy, imported goods.

Unfortunately, it is also possible that genetics play a hand in rapid weight gain, combined with this relatively novel diet. Food shortages in past centuries tend to result in a population that can make the most of every calorie, so when extreme shifts like over-abundance occur, the results can be dramatic. Life expectancy has dropped rapidly from the mid-70s to the low 60s, and teenagers are undergoing amputations amidst an increasingly overwhelmed National Diabetes Centre. Attempts in 2008 to economically curb the consumption of mutton flaps resulted in fierce public resistance, revealing that calorie addictions can run deep.

Tuvalu - 62.2% of Adults are Obese

Tuvalu's nine islands comprise thinly populated atoll and reef communities, and 10,400 citizens have chosen to plant their roots here. Endlessly palmed beaches and golden-shimmer sunsets imply that this is a land of health and relaxation, but an obesity prevalence of 62.2% shatters this illusion. Interestingly, malnutrition is one of the root causes: despite the availability of healthy fish and vegetables, corned beef, rice, and sugar dominate diets in such a way that hypertension and cardiovascular diseases spread rampantly. These high-fat, high-salt diets are merciless when struggles with financing and limited agricultural activity impede government response. Although it is mostly aged between 18-69 taken into consideration for BMI measurements, infant diseases and deaths in Tuvalu are often a result of these issues.

Nauru - 58.1% of Adults are Obese

In the small island country of Nauru, the historical shift in economic prosperity, primarily due to phosphate mining, led to significant changes in lifestyle and diet during the 20th century. The newly acquired affluence from this mining boom led to the now common theme, the import of high-calorie, processed foods replacing traditional diets.

This historical legacy, however, took a downturn, and presently, Nauru experiences high unemployment rates. This economic reality inevitably influences food choices, as the lack of disposable income makes cheap, calorie-dense processed foods more appealing, further fuelling the obesity epidemic.

The consequence of this high obesity prevalence is that Nauru's universal healthcare system is strained under the burden of obesity-related diseases. Renal failure, in particular, presents a significant challenge, resulting in escalating healthcare costs and straining resources. Interestingly, "Nauru is the highest recipient of aid of any Pacific Island Country (PIC) as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP)," which brings into question issues of resource management.

Samoa - 55.8% of Adults are Obese

On the other hand, in Samoa, where 55.8% of adults are considered obese, societal factors play a significant role in the obesity issue. Over 20 years ago, it was common for average citizens to recognize people with very thin or very large bodies as reasonably healthy; today, 'right in the middle' has become a more normalized view. This reflects a possible influx of ideas from global media, which tend to represent certain "right in the middle" body shapes more than others. Take social outlets like Instagram, for example; posters tend to show themselves at their best using lighting and curated angles to portray an idealized version of self. Regarding causation, Samoa has been flooded with fast-food restaurants over the past 50 years. Pictures from before the island country began integrating into Western markets reveal that the Samoan physique is typically fairly lean, which is common for island countries where abundance is not always guaranteed. Once again, a genetic variant that affects fat storage and metabolism could be responsible: it may have saved these island people in the past, but it might be killing them now.

Kiribati - 45.6% of Adults are Obese

Kiribati, another island country located in the Pacific Ocean, struggles with extreme obesity for a variety of reasons, including environmental. Increasing sea levels, combined with escalating soil salinity, have severely hindered local food production. Consequently, the country has grown increasingly reliant on imported foods, rich in calories but poor in essential nutrients. However, there is some room for optimism. One target metric focusing on maternal and young child nutrition reveals that the country is 'on course' to prevent the negative statistic from increasing further. After all, halting the problem is the first step towards reducing it. Howver, based on data about these rising sea levels, Kiribati might become completely uninhabitable by 2100. If anything, this increases the importance of investing in the health of Kiribati's current citizens so they can make the most of their homeland to the fullest of their abilities.

Obesity in Non-Island Countries

Among non-island countries, the United States, Libya, Qatar, Bahrain, and Mexico exhibit the highest obesity rates, yet none rank among the top 10 globally. The United States stands with the highest obesity prevalence at 42.7%; this trend is largely attributed to high-energy dietary intake and physical inactivity, fueled by sedentary lifestyles and a fast-food culture that perpetuates a cycle of unhealthy consumption patterns.

Neighboring the Mediterranean, Libya holds a slightly lower prevalence of 42.4%. The prevalence of obesity in this country reveals the potent effects of rapid urbanization, changing food consumption patterns, and reduced physical activity on public health. High-fat, high-sugar Western diets have largely replaced traditional high-fiber diets.

Situated in the Middle East, Qatar and Bahrain present obese populations of 41.4% and 36.9%, respectively. Both countries face the consequences of oil-fueled affluence, with significant increases in sedentary lifestyles and a shift towards high-calorie diets. Notably, growing reliance on cars and automation has reduced physical activity in these countries, making the urban environment significantly less pedestrian-friendly.

South of the US, Mexico reports an obesity frequency of 36.7%, which has occurred due to a transition from labor-intensive work in agriculture toward more sedentary 'desk jobs.' This, combined with inadequate access to health education and resources, alongside increasingly high-calorie diets, contributes to Mexico's considerable obesity rate.

Across these countries, there are common threads: globalization, urbanization, and lifestyle changes have collectively driven the shift towards high-energy diets and physical inactivity, leading to these elevated obesity rates. In the past, 'common knowledge' asserted that each individual was solely responsible for their own health. While that often remains true, today's sociologists understand that a lack of access to proper nutrition and education is a legitimate threat to hundreds of millions worldwide.

Countries Ranked By Adult Obesity

Data procured from The World Obesity Federation (World Obesity)

Note: A low BMI score does not equate to health. Second, the data for 24 countries is currently unknown.