West Virginia, Mississippi, and Arkansas are the U.S. states with the highest percentage of their population who are obese. The states with the lowest percentage of their population who are obese include Colorado, Hawaii, and Massachusetts. Obesity in the United States Obesity is a growing problem in many countries around the world, but the United States has the highest rate of obesity among all OECD countries. The prevalence of obesity in the United States has risen steadily over the previous two decades, with no signs of declining. Obesity in the U.S. is more common among women than men, and overweight and obesity rates are higher among African Americans than any other race or ethnicity. Causes and health impacts Obesity is most commonly the result of a combination of poor diet, overeating, physical inactivity, and a genetic susceptibility. Obesity is associated with various negative health impacts, including an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, certain types of cancer, and diabetes type 2. As of 2022, around 8.4 percent of the U.S. population had been diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes is currently the eighth leading cause of death in the United States.

As of 2022, in nearly every country in Europe, over half of adults were classed as overweight or obese. The highest rate was recorded in Romania with 67 percent of adults self-reporting as overweight or obese. In both Croatia and the United Kingdom, around 64 percent of adults had a BMI of over 25. Europe one of the worst affected regions Europe had the second-highest number of obese adults across the WHO regions, only behind the region of the Americas. Over 191 million adults aged 20 years were classed as obese in Europe in 2020. The number of obese adults in Europe was forecast to grow to 263 million by 2035. Problems also with childhood obesity In 2020, 89 million children in Europe were overweight, the highest across all continents. It was forecast with current trends that, by 2035, 125 million children would be overweight. A further 70 million children across the continent were classed as obese. Children that are overweight or obese are at a higher risk of developing numerous health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, asthma, and high blood pressure.

This statistic shows the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults in OECD countries as of 2015. In Japan, less than four percent of adults were classified as obese. In comparison, the percentage for adults in the United States was about 38 percent.

As of 2021, approximately 69 percent of men and 59 percent of women in the United Kingdom considered themselves overweight or obese. Across the European countries featured, overweight and obesity was more prevalent among males.

This file contains the dataset and the results of the statistical analyses to identify the national factors related to the number of COVID-19 infections and COVID-19 deaths in each country. The dataset includes the dependent variables (the cumulative number of COVID-19 infections and the cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths as of March 31, April 30, May 31, and June 30, 2020), independent variables (national culture, The degree of corruption in the country and the policy on COVID-19, temperature and precipitation of each country, and GDP per capita), and control variables (population density, median age, and obesity rates of the country, the number of days that COVID-19 has been detected for the first time in a country, and the presence or absence of forced BCG vaccination policy). This file also contains the descriptive statistics of all variables, the results of the correlation analyses, and the results of the regression analyses.

Summary Statistics of the selected variables across 132 countries.

Model 2B results: High volatility countries.

Cross correlation matrix of socioeconomic and lifestyle variables, for 132 countries and territories.

Data obtained from countrywide Health Nutrition and Population Statistics data.

ObjectiveRelaxed natural selection, measured by Biological State Index (Ibs), results in unfavourable genes/mutations accumulation in population. Obesity is partly heritable. We aim to examine and compare the effects of relaxed natural selection on male and female obesity prevalence.MethodsData for 191 countries of the world were captured for this ecological study. Curvilinear regressions, bivariate and partial correlations, linear mixed models and multivariate linear regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between Ibs and sex-specific obesity prevalence. Per capita GDP, urbanization and caloric intake were controlled for as the confounding factors. Fisher r-to-z transformation, R2 increment in multivariate regression and F-test were used to compare the correlations.ResultsCurvilinear regressions, bivariate and partial correlations (controlled for GDP, urbanization and calories) revealed that Ibs was significantly correlated to obesity prevalence of both sexes, but significantly stronger to male than to female obesity prevalence. Curvilinear regression models also showed strong correlations. Mixed linear models, with effects of GDP, urbanisation and caloric intake controlled for, showed that male and female average obesity prevalence rates were significantly higher in countries with greater Ibs value than their equivalents in countries with lower Ibs. Between higher and lower Ibs countries, the gap of male obesity prevalence is 60% greater than the gap of female obesity prevalence. Stepwise multiple regression identified that Ibs was a significant predictor of obesity prevalence of both sexes. Multivariate regression showed that, adding Ibs as an obesity predictor, R2 increment in male model was significantly greater than in female model.ConclusionsRelaxed natural selection may drive males and females to accumulate metabolic faulty genes equally. Probably due to greater environmental, personal intervention in regulating female body mass, relaxed natural selection shows less contributing effects to female obesity prevalence than to male obesity prevalence. Gene therapy to prevent obesity may need to be also taken into account.

In 2022, the U.S. states with the highest rates of obesity among women were Tennessee, Louisiana, and Mississippi. At that time, almost ** percent of women in Tennessee were considered obese. The states with the highest rates of obesity among men are West Virginia, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Obesity: Women vs. men As of 2023, women in the United States had slightly higher rates of obesity than men. At that time, around **** percent of women were considered obese, compared to **** percent of men. Rates of obesity among both men and women are higher in the United States than any other OECD country, with high-calorie diets, often from fast food and sugary drinks, and large food portion sizes being partly to blame. In 2024, the mean self-reported weight among men in the United States was *** pounds, while women reported weighing an average of *** pounds. Which state is the most obese? As of 2023, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adult obesity in the United States, with around ** percent of the population considered obese. Following West Virginia, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana, had some of the highest rates of obesity in the country. Colorado had the lowest share of adults who were obese at that time, but still, ********* of adults in the state were obese. West Virginia is also the state with the highest prevalence of obesity among high school students, with ** percent of high schoolers considered obese in 2021. Obesity in childhood is associated with obesity as adults, as well as mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

Model 1 regression results for unrestricted model.

Malaysia tipped the ASEAN scale as having the highest share of the population being classified as obese in 2019, with over ** percent of its population classed as obese. Contrastingly, just over *** percent of Vietnam’s population was considered obese in 2019. Obesity in APAC The Asia Pacific region has the highest number of overweight and obese people in the world. Additionally, Australia and New Zealand had the highest share of overweight children globally. Diets across the region are rapidly changing as new food trends emerge. The development of economies across the region has made food more affordable and the transition from agriculture to industrialization has made employment for many citizens less physically demanding. These factors can be seen as having contributed to the rise of obesity across the region. Poor diets However, as the obesity rate increases, the levels of food insecurity across the Asia Pacific region have also risen. Food insecurity in South Asia has notably risen steadily since 2015. Malnutrition and undernourishment continue to be problems for the region, with many of its citizens not consuming enough essential vitamins and minerals in their diets. Furthermore, a low share of children in South and East Asia were eating from the minimum number of food groups in 2019.

China is the country with the highest number of diabetics worldwide, with around *** million people suffering from the disease. By the year 2050, it is predicted that China will have around *** million people with diabetes. Death from diabetes Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, accounting for **** million deaths in 2021. Diabetes at least doubles one’s chance of dying prematurely, and many places in the world lack appropriate treatment options. The highest number of deaths from diabetes comes from the Western Pacific, where around *** million people died from the disease in 2024. Obesity One of the biggest risk factors for developing diabetes is being overweight or obese. Rates of obesity have increased in recent years in many countries around the world. In the United States, for example, it is estimated that around ** percent of the adult population was obese in 2023, compared to ** percent of the population in 2011.

The highest overall food security performance within the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) in 2022 was **** percent in the United Arab Emirates. In comparison, the lowest score was of Syria at **** percent in that year. MENA food security breakdown The overall food security performance score is based on four assessment pillars, food availability, affordability, quality and safety, and natural resource and resilience scores. In 2019, Qatar had the best food affordability score exceeding ** percent, followed by the United Arab Emirates. Meanwhile, the food quality and safety score was highest for Qatar, followed by Israel. The highest food availability score was in Israel, followed by Egypt, and the lowest for Yemen at a score of ** percent. Turkey had the highest natural resource and resilience score for food at ** percent in that year. Within the MENA region, food insecurity was found to be positively correlated with the amount of conflict in a country, and the level of rural transformation. Rural transformation includes the maturing of services such as those in the health and education sectors. The development of such sectors improves the standards of living, employment opportunities, and the overall welfare of households which enhances food security. GCC food industry trends The consistent growth in the demand for food in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries is caused by the increasing per capita income, persistent population growth, and thriving tourism. There was a noticeable shift in consumer behavior to healthier food choices in recent years due to the increasing health issues caused by the high obesity rates in the region. Saudi Arabia is the largest consumer and producer of food within the Gulf region. The most desired food type in the GCC region in 2016 was cereal, which was the food type with the lowest food sufficiency ratio.

This statistic displays the average daily number of calories consumed per capita in selected countries as of 2014. The average daily calorie intake per capita in the United States is 3,641 kilocalories (kcal) per person. The prevalence of obesity has increased in countries like the United States and the United Kingdom in the last decade, with the U.S. reporting the highest rates of obesity in all OECD countries. An increased daily caloric intake has been positively associated with this international problem.

A recent multi-country survey showed that more consumers in the United States drank soft drinks on a daily basis than those in the United Kingdom and Germany. Twenty-eight percent of U.S. respondents claimed to drink the beverage every day, compared to 24 percent of the UK and just 14 percent of Germans. The gap between Germans and the other respondents was also reflected in the answers of “less often” and “never”, where 17 and 16 percent of German respondents agreed with those assertions, much more than their English-speaking counterparts.

Per-capita consumption

These claims are backed up by per capita estimates as well. Of the ten most populated countries in the world, the United States ranks second in soft drink consumption, with residents having drank an average of 628 8-ounce servings of the beverage in 2017.

Health concerns

Concern has grown over the consumption of soft drinks because of its link to several health problems, including obesity and diabetes. The United States has the third highest number of type 2 diabetes (the kind associated with diet) diagnosed people and the highest prevalence of obesity of any nation in the world.

The share of the population with overweight in Argentina was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total two percentage points. After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the overweight population share is estimated to reach 72.14 percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the share of the population with overweight of was continuously increasing over the past years.Overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of more than 25.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the share of the population with overweight in countries like Chile and Uruguay.

In the shown time-period the mean height of men and women has generally increased in England. According to the survey, the average height of males rose slightly during the period in consideration, from 174.4 centimeters in 1998 to 176.2 centimeters (approximately 5'9") in 2022. In comparison, the mean height of women was 162.3 centimeters (5'4") in 2022, up from 161 in 1998. Reasons for height increasing While a large part of an adult’s final height is based on genetics, the environment in which a person grows up is also important. Improvements in nutrition, healthcare, and hygiene have seen the average heights increase over the last century, particularly in developed countries. Average height is usually seen as a barometer for the overall health of the population of a country, as the most developed are usually among the ‘tallest’ countries. Average waist circumference also increasing The prevalence of obesity among adults in England has generally been trending upward since 2000. In that year, 21 percent of men and women in England were classified as obese. By 2021, however, this share was 26 percent among women and 25 percent among men. Every adult age group in England had an average BMI which was classified as overweight, apart from those aged 16 to 24, indicating there is a problem with overweightness in England.