Top 5 Fattest Countries in the World

One issue in the back of everybody's minds nowadays is weight and weight loss. Fad diets are advertised everywhere and tiny pills promising a thinner waist have their own section in the supermarket. Fast-paced lives sped up by new technology have caused working people to resort to fast food, causing the pounds to come on. But which country has it the worst? The following is a list of the fattest countries in the world, measured by analyzing the obese population as a proportion of the total population over the age of 15.

Greece is the fifth fattest country in the world, with 21.9% of its population weighing in as obese. This seems like juxtaposition since Greece abides by the Mediterranean diet, one of the healthiest lifestyles in the world heavy in vegetables and red wine. The reason for this is as the affluence sets in and people can buy fast food, they do so. Approximately 35% of Greek men are overweight, but they must be doing something right if they have one of the highest life expectancies in the world. Must be the fact that they consume 35 pints of virgin olive oil per person per year!

The fourth heaviest country in the world is Slovakia, with 22.4% of its population being classified as obese. A recent study done in Slovakia reveals that the Gypsy population skews the national obesity percentage, with Gypsy women having higher body mass indexes than non-Gypsy women. Obesity is also more prevalent in Gypsy which is contributed by smoking and hypertension. Unfortunately, only 27% of Slovak children eat fruits and vegetables everday.

The United Kingdom comes in as the third fattest country in the world, with 23% of its population statistically defined as obese. Statistics show that obesity is more prevalent amongst the working class and professions that require manual labor. Men and women employed in the manual occupation sector are four times more likely than those who are professional employed to be very obese. Presently, 9,000 Britons die due to complications with obesity each year and 1 in every 3 Britons is predicted to be obese by 2012.

The second fattest country in the world is Mexico, with 24.2% of its population being categorized as obese. The main reason for the obesity epidemic in Mexico is the alarming rate of fast food consumption. Lack of clean water and health resources also contributes to the pounds being added on. There are 205 McDonald's Restaurants in Mexico and the current trend of obesity can be traced back to just over the northern border, to the United States. Inexpensive soft drinks and fast food are cheaper than going to the fresh market, so Mexicans often opt for these choices.

The fattest country in the world is the United States, with 30.6% of Americans being obese. Two thirds of Americans are also considered overweight. This national crisis can even be seen in American pets, with 25% of our pooches and cats being classified as overweight. There are currently 13,000 McDonald's Restaurants and 11,000 Burger King Restaurants. These statistics could give anyone a heart attack. Americans eat larger proportions than they are supposed to and technology has wiped physical activities off of their to-do lists. What can save America from drowning in this vat of fat? The answer is still being searched for.