30 percent of world is now fat, no country immune

[n2doc]

LONDON (AP) — Almost a third of the world is now fat, and no country has been able to curb obesity rates in the last three decades, according to a new global analysis.

Researchers found more than 2 billion people worldwide are now overweight or obese. The highest rates were in the Middle East and North Africa, where nearly 60 percent of men and 65 percent of women are heavy. The U.S. has about 13 percent of the world's fat population, a greater percentage than any other country. China and India combined have about 15 percent.

"It's pretty grim," said Christopher Murray of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, who led the study. He and colleagues reviewed more than 1,700 studies covering 188 countries from 1980 to 2013. "When we realized that not a single country has had a significant decline in obesity, that tells you how hard a challenge this is."

Murray said there was a strong link between income and obesity; as people get richer, their waistlines also tend to start bulging. He said scientists have noticed accompanying spikes in diabetes and that rates of cancers linked to weight, like pancreatic cancer, are also rising.

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http://www.newsdaily.com/article/fc54887cbf92a22060be1ac810ed1126/30-percent-of-world-is-now-fat-no-country-immune

[Puzzledtraveller]

1. I work in a 12 story building

My office is on the 9th floor and I always take the steps, I have not taken the elevator in 5 years. The stair well is very nice, as it is in a historic building. I put together a Take-the-Stairs campaign for my work place that was turned down, state personnel office said we already have health and fitness programs available in our employee health insurance. I know that people may have good reason for not taking the stairs at work but I know there is a lot of people perfectly capable of just taking a flight or two to their floor. They will pile into the elevator just to go the 2nd floor! Bemoaning the wait the entire time.

[3catwoman3]

2. I saw an...

...11 yr old child in the pediatric office today who last had a check up when he was 5, prior to starting kindergarten. The child has gained 111 pounds in 6 years. Mom said she was not worried about this because he was built just like the father. I am worried.

[Separation]

3. .

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