The obesity epidemic is not only affecting the rich world. According to a new report, the number of overweight people in developing countries has quadrupled since 1980. In countries like China, Egypt and Mexico, there are now over a billion people with a weight problem.
BBC News: Obesity quadruples to nearly one billion in developing world
The Statistics
The trend is seen worldwide. Here’s the percentage of people with a weight problem in different regions in 1980 (yellow graphs) and 2008 (blue graphs):
Asia looks pretty good if you look at BMI numbers. But in reality things are a lot worse, as people of Asian origin on average are of a smaller build. When they reach overweight, as measured by BMI, they may already suffer from severe health problems, something that is illustrated by China’s ongoing diabetes disaster.
Despite lower BMI numbers, China seems to already have greater problems with weight-related ill health than Western countries do.
No Rethinking
A report by a British think tank offers no new ideas on how to solve the problem. Instead, the belief is that the obesity epidemic is caused by eating too little of starchy foods – and too much fat and animal foods. Really? When study after study has proven that such a dietary change on the contrary is the most effective for weight loss?
It’s perhaps not a coincidence that the UK is the fattest country in Europe. When British experts still believe in the outdated low-fat ideas that created the obesity epidemic, then there’s no hope of any help from them. But in the future, they will be questioned if they don’t update themselves… and finally people will stop listening to them. Fortunately there are already quite a few British critics rethinking this.
Einstein’s famous quote says: insanity is doing the same thing – over and over – and expecting a different result. It’s high time to stop the madness.
More
Insane Fat-Fighting Strategy in the UK
Many examples of people who rethought
Fantastic video on sugar and the obesity epidemic
Coca Cola-Loving Mexico Now Most Obese Nation on Earth