It's no secret that along with fast food and other trappings of convenience, unhealthy lifestyles—and their associated health problems—have been spreading across the globe at a rapid clip. A new analysis of more than nine million people in 199 countries and territories puts numbers on the widespread weight gain.
Nearly half a billion adults were obese as of 2008, according to the analysis, published online February 3 in The Lancet. That is nearly double the 1980 rate, with an average increase in body mass indexes (BMIs) of 0.4 (kilograms per meter of height squared) each decade, reaching 23.8 in 2008. Some countries, especially those in Oceana, saw BMIs balloon up by some 1.3. A BMI of 30 or above is considered obese, and those with BMIs of 25 to 29.9 are overweight. Excess body weight is blamed for almost three million deaths each year internationally.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Observations: Global growth: More than 10 percent of adults worldwide are now obese
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