The United States Ranked Highest for Obesity among OECD Nations

The Organisation for Economic C-operation and Development, OECD, is an international economic organization composed by thirty four counties.  In its publication of Health at a Glance 2011 released on November 23, 2011, OECD provides an insight of health systems in OECD countries.

According to the comparable data over the past 50 years, life expectancy in OECD countries has improved tremendously.  Japan is the leading nation in this area. Its average life expectancy is 83 year and many other countries follow closely.  Among the 34 countries, the United States ranked as 28^th with the life expectancy of 78.2 years, which is below the OECD average of 79.5 years.   

Although there are significant improvement in longevity compared to 50 years ago, OECD pointed out that the nature of risk factors is changing.  “The burden of diseases in OECD countries nowadays is linked to lifestyle factors, with tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity” pointed out OECD. 

Although tobacco and alcohol consumptions have been reduced in the last decades, there is an alarming rise in obesity. The publication stated “Obesity is a key risk factor for numerous chronic conditions. Research shows that severely obese people die 8-10 years earlier than those of normal weight.”  Among the 34 countries, United States has the highest obesity rate among the adult population, which is 34%.  The countries with the lowest rate are Korea and Japan at the rate of 4%.

The following is the list of countries with their obesity rate in 2009.

              Korea                   4%

              Japan                  4%

              Switzerland         8%

              Norway               10%

              Italy                    10%

              France                11%

              Sweden               11%

              Netherlands        12%

              Austria                12%

              Denmark             13%

              Belgium               14%

              Israel                   14%

              Germany             15%

              Finland               15%

              Ireland                15%

              Portugal              15%

              Spain                   16%

              Canada               17%

              OECD15              17%

              Czech Republic   17%

              Hungary             20%

              Iceland                20%

              Luxembourg       22%

              United Kingdom 23%

              Australia             25%

              Chile                    25%

              New Zealand       27%

              Mexico                 30%

              United States      34%                   Reference: OECD

Obesity is measured by BMI (Body Mass Index) calculation. It is the measurement of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both men and women between the ages of 18 and 65 years.

               

              BMI = (Weight in Pounds / (Height in inches x Height in inches)) x 703 or

              BMI = (Weight in Kilograms / (Height in Meters x Height in Meters))

              The following is the score range.

              BMI Score

                18.5 or less       Underweight

                18.5 to 24.99    Normal

                25 to 29.99       Overweight

                30 to 34.99       Obesity (Class 1)

                40 or greater    Morbid Obesity

              For quick calculation, go to BMI Calculator.

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