Obesity Studies

Apparently people all around the world are getting fatter - with the possible exception of south and east Asia, according to a one-day global snapshot.

Now despite looking hard, I can't find the criteria for a "one-day global snapshot" but I think the gist of obesity studies generally are that we most definitely all getting fatter!

There is a difference between being overweight and obese, and this is usually defined by using the body mass index formula.

A body mass index of between 19-25 is considered normal or desirable, 25-30 represents an increased health risk, while 30-40 is obese.

If you are overweight the risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and some forms of cancer is increased, so there are obvious benefits to losing weight. You can achieve weight loss without dieting by making some simple changes to what you eat.

According to the study "An estimated two-thirds of Americans are overweight and a third of these are obese. In the US, the lifetime risk of developing diabetes, is also high - 33% for men and 38% for women."

Ellen Mason of the British Heart Foundation said: "It is tragic irony that whilst much of the world is starving, many developed countries across the world are in the grips of an obesity crisis."