July 05, 2007
Life, Liberty And The Pursuit Of Lard
Leave it to Americans to celebrate their freedom from colonial rule by ramming sausages and assorted other artery-clogging foods down their gullets. All that (admitted) deliciousness has to go somewhere, and unfortunately for too many of us, somewhere is on our waistlines.
Just in case all that B-roll of sagging bellies that accompanies every news report on American obesity doesn't do the trick, one blogger has a handy illustrated guide to global chubbiness.
Guess who's No. 1?
The cartoon bugs assigned each nation by WellingtonGray.net are sized according to the percentage of the population over age 15 with a body mass index of more than 30 percent. America's "bug" is by far the largest, with 31 percent of 15-pluses weighing in with a BMI of 30 or more. The 30 mark is right on the line between "overweight" and "obese," according to DocShop.com.
Japan and Korea tied for last of the 27 nations represented, with just 3 percent of their populations saddled with BMIs of 30-plus. France, land of wine and cheese, tied for third-to-last at 9 percent with Austria and Italy -- two countries that are hardly known for skimping on rich foods.
Canada's obesity rate is less than half the rate of the U.S. That's a little surprising, since many Americans view Canadians as culturally indistinguishable from themselves. (Canadians, who are compelled to slap giant maple leaves on all their luggage when going abroad, vociferously disagree, of course.)
That's not to say Canada isn't also wrestling with the fat epidemic. Childhood obesity is on the rise there, just as it is in other industrialized nations. Could the difference be lifestyle? Lifestyle choices related to poverty are increasingly viewed as a bigger risk for obesity than abundant access to food. The U.N.'s agricultural arm has been warning of rising obesity rates in developing countries; Mexico placed second to the U.S. with 24 percent on WellingtonGrey.net's chart.
Other surprises on the index: Belgium (land of beer and frites) with 12 percent and Germany (land of beer and meats) with 13 percent.
