Globesity: Should We Start Worrying? :

The September 2007 issue of Scientific American was a special on Diet, Health and Food Supply. It contains a multitude of insightful pieces on the most pressing food and health related issues facing our world today.

One such article is entitled “The World is Fat” by Barry M. Popkin . This article should serve as a red alert to the true impact of obesity across the world.

Here is a summary of this piece:

• For most developing nations, obesity is a now more serious threat than hunger. Worldwide, more than 1.3 billion people are overweight, while only about 800 million are underweight. These figures are diverging rapidly.
• Even poverty-stricken nations such as Nigeria and Uganda are facing high obesity rates
• People in developing worlds are consuming more caloric sweeteners, vegetable oils and animal-source foods. Poorer nations have also experienced an influx of technology that brings activity to a grinding halt.

Obesity: A Tale of 4 Nations:

Mexico:

• In 1989, fewer than 10% of Mexicans were overweight. In 2006, that number skyrocketed to 69%!
• Almost 1 in 7 Mexican adults have type 2 diabetes – now that nations number 1 killer.

Brazil:

• Percentage of overweight adults (1975): 20%
• Percentage of overweight adults (1997): 36.7% (Likely much higher today)

Egypt:

• Percentage of overweight/obese adults (1998): 59.1% (Again, likely higher today)
• Urban woman are especially prone to overweight due to adopting modern habits such as watching T.V.

China:

• Percentage of overweight/obese adults (1991): 12.9%
• Percentage of overweight/obese adults (2004): 27.3%

In addition to the shifting lifestyles of these countries, scientists have long believed that Latin American, African and South Asian populations have an abundance of thrifty genes that help humans survive times of famine.

If we haven’t already hit the panic button on this issue yet, we need to. As of yet, no country has successfully reduced obesity rates. Reversing this trend will take a powerful social paradigm shift and perhaps an even more powerful shift in political will.

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