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101 Shocking Obesity Facts And Figures You Should Know!

You think, only you suffer from overweight/or obesity? Or you may consider obesity not so serious health problem as you have to.

So read on to find out shocking worldwide facts and figures about obesity and overweight, as well as figures found based on recent studies and surveys in the United States and United Kingdom.

An ideal weight is a successful combination of regular physical activity, proper nutrition and mental balance in your daily life. Each of these 3 factors is vital, if you want to live longer life and maintain ideal weight and shape.

But an irony of fate is that most of us know this well, though unfortunately we do the opposite. No, it is not so hard as you may think. Not at all! The only trick is to squeeze all the 3 powerful and at the same time simple ingredients of “healthy life” recipe in your each day. And no matter how busy you are!

So here are 101 shocking obesity facts that will ensure you start your healthy life just today:

1.    Obesity is considered to be the #1 public health problem in the world, though many people still ignore it as a serious health issue.
2.    Obesity occurs when energy intake is more than energy expenditure for a long period of time.
3.    Obesity is defined as having BMI - a body mass index of 30 or higher in general. According the World Health Organization (WHO) "overweight" as a BMI equal to or more than 25, and "obesity" as a BMI equal to or more than 30.
4.    Eating habits of Americans are very different from other nations. They are considered to be mainly carbohydrate eater, which is the number 1 reason for that US is the fattest country in the world.
5.    Every year the diet industry (including weight loss programs, diet foods, diet pills, etc.) profits in more than $40 billion and this figure are increasingly growing year by year.
6.    Excessive affects blood pressure, and decrease the body’s ability to use insulin effectively.
7.    Statistics show that families living in industrialized towns spend more of their money on meals purchased away from home.
8.    Commercially prepared food is higher in sugar and fat.
9.    Since the 1960s the average daily calorie intake has increased over the world.
10.    Today’s nutrition has moved from being low-calorie plant-based to high-calorie and high-fat animal-based diet.
11.    Obesity and overweight related diseases are more come across in the countries with low socioeconomic status. The truth is that people on lower incomes have a tendency to consume more fat, meat, and sugar, when those who are on higher incomes consume more fruit and vegetables.
12.    Obesity not only affects your medical health but may also cause lower self-esteem, as well as discomfort and depression in social situations.
13.    Excessive fat is mostly stored in the area of abdomen, which in turn leads to an increased risk of developing various serious diseases.
14.    Four golden rules of effective weight loss are behavior modification, proper diet, physical activity and social support.
15.    Overweight / Obesity can be caused by some drugs such as hormones, steroids, as well as psychoactive drugs like traditional antidepressants.
16.    The main causes of obesity may vary, but the most popular reasons are such factors as lack of exercise and unhealthy eating.
17.    At least 155 million school-age children worldwide are overweight or obese.
18.    Obesity is an acknowledged epidemic in the US.
19.     It is estimated that about 3.5 million men and 4.5 million women are moderately or severely obese in the United States. And this group is increasingly growing.
20.    Every year, $12 billion from company budgets are spent on obesity as health care costs.
21.    Health care costs related to obesity are estimated $92.8 billion alone in 2002.
22.    Young girls are more afraid of becoming fat than they are of cancer, nuclear war, or even losing their parents.
23.    50 per cent of American women are on a weight loss diet at any one time.
24.    The amount of young overweight people has more than tripled since 1980 in the US.
25.    75% of US women are not satisfied with their appearance.
26.    1/3 of all American women wear a size 16 or larger.
27.    2/3 of all dieters gain the lost weight back within only a year.
28.    Recent research has found that a bad night sleep (less than 8 hours per day) can lead to overweight/ obesity.
29.    In the last 25 years, the rate of obesity has increases by 4 times in the United Kingdom.
30.    In 2002, 22 per cent of women and 23 per cent of men were found clinically obese alone in England,
31.    It is estimated that the rates of obesity among children, have increased by 3 times during the last 20 years.
32.    It is supposed that 50 per cent of all children in UK could be classified as obese by 2020, if present trends continue at this rate.
33.    According to the World Health Organization, 150 million European adults will become overweight /obese by 2010.
34.    80% of 10-year-old girls and 50% of 9-year-old girls have dieted.
35.    According to the Geneva 2006 Factsheet No 3011. about Obesity and Overweight by World Health Organization, 1.6 billion adults are globally overweight and 400 million are obese.
36.    In alone 2004, the amount of overweight children were estimated 155 million in the world, 30-45 million of which were obese.
37.    The most obese nations of the world are those who live in the Western Pacific:
Nauru: 78% of women and 80% of men are obese;
Tonga: 70% of women and 47% of men are obese;
Samoa: 63% of women and 33% of men are obese.

38.    As for the fattest country, the United States is in the first place.
39.    Overweight / obese people are higher risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, as well as cardiovascular diseases.
40.    Millions of People worldwide become fatter because of increased calorie intake and physical inactivity. According to recent statistics, globally humanity is becoming more sedentary.
41.    According to International Obesity Task Force (2007), Albania the most obese women (36%), and Croatia has the largest portion of obese men (31%) in Europe.
42.    Minimum 30 min. of physical activity (regularly 5-7 days a week), decreases the risk of NCDs - several common noncommunicable diseases.
43.    Each year, minimum 1.9 million people globally (including more than 600 000 in the WHO European Region) die due to physical inactivity.
44.    Obesity is believed to be responsible for 5% of cancer cases.
45.    Obesity can cause womb, breast, kidney and bowel cancer.
46.    At least one third of adults will be classified as obese by 2020.
47.    30,000 deaths a year in the UK alone occur due to obesity.
48.     Obesity costs alone the United Kingdom economy over £2 billion annually.
49.    In 2001, 2 billion meals were eaten in the fast food restaurants in England alone.
50.    By 2020, at least 1/3rd of girls and 1/5th of boys will be classified as obese.
51.    Children are now fatter than ever before – In fact, 10% of all children worldwide are obese or overweight.
52.    According to the facts by the Faculty of Public Health, the United Kingdom's school children practice the lowest amount of exercises in all Europe.
53.    One in five children in Great Britain does not eat fruit at all.
54.    According to the U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alone In 2004, obesity was the number one health threat come across in America.
55.    According to the estimation of World Health Organization (WHO), more than 115 million people are currently affected by obesity-related problems.
56.    An estimated 10-25 percent of women and 10-20 percent of men in European countries are classified as obese.
57.    16 per cent of children and teens are globally considered to be overweight.
58.    Obesity can cause a number of serious health problems such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, osteoarthritis, and various types of cancers.
59.    World Health Organization, WHO predicts that by 2015, about 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and over 700 million of people will be classified as obese.
60.    In 2005 the amount of overweight children under the age of 5 was estimated at least 20 million.
61.    Childhood obesity leads to a higher risk of disability and premature death in adulthood.
62.    A survey conducted by United Nations (UN) in 1999 found that obesity was spreading in all developing regions, even in sub-Saharan Africa, where most of people are hungry.
63.    The number of overweight people in China increased from less than 10 % to 15 % in 3 years.
64.    In Brazil and Colombia, the overweight people are estimated about 40% - compared to a number of European countries.
65.    The rate of obesity is low in Japan, China, and many countries in Africa.
66.    1.9 million deaths worldwide are caused by physical inactivity.
67.    Childhood obesity is one of the most serious health problems of the 21st century.
68.    Over 75% of obese children live in low- and middle-income countries.
69.    In the US, at least one out of 10 youngsters under the 6 - 17 years of age is overweight.
70.    According to study, the risk of death increased by 1 percent per each surplus pound of weight in 26 years.
71.    Each year 300,000 Americans die from overweight.
72.    57% of Americans do exercise only occasionally or not at all.
73.    In the US, 61% of adults are overweight. In Russia, the figure is 54 %; in the UK- 51 %; and in Germany, 50 %.
74.    In Brazil, 36% of adults are overweight when in China this figure is only 15%.
75.    American diet involves 20 teaspoons of sugar a day (most consumed in prepared foods and soft drinks).
76.    In the UK, the two lifestyle mostly related to obesity are watching TV and driving a car.
77.    Children who watch TV 5+ hours a day are at 5 times higher risk to be overweight than those who watch 2 hours a day.
78.    The other cause of childhood obesity is sitting at a computer for hours a day.
79.    95 % of Americans who try to lose weight by only dieting fail.
80.    Alone in 1998, there were some 400,000 liposuction surgeries in the US.
81.    Raised BMI is the main cause of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, etc.  Heart issues are the world's number one killer( killing 17 million people each year).
82.     You can easily gain 800-1,000 calories and loads of sugar a day just from drinks?
83.    Some of fruit drinks high in fructose contain as much as 30-40 grams of sugar, while you should have only 48 grams a day.
84.    Excess amounts of fruit will turn it into fat in your body, fruit is a carbohydrate.
85.    Unless we can squeeze up exercise to our daily routines, the obesity epidemic and its awful results will increasingly spread.
86.    You may become more obese by skipping breakfast.
87.    French people weigh less than Americans, though in France, the average person consumes more fat than Americans.
88.    Women, who store fat in their stomachs, have higher levels of estrogen. And such excessive estrogen levels are the main risk factor for breast cancer. So researchers are finding links between stomach fat and breast cancer.
89.    Belly fat causes higher insulin levels which also may lead to breast cancer.
90.    Abdominal is gathering round vital organs and leads to high triglycerides, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high insulin and other serious problems.
91.    According to Harvard study, it was found out that women whose waist size is more than 31 inches were twice as likely to be affected by a heart attack as those with whose waistlines were slimmer.
92.    Excessive belly fat can worsen blood circulation through the veins. Therefore many overweight people are suffering from varicose veins. So they need to follow special weight loss and exercise program.
93.    Fat begins to store itself in different areas in women’s body after they experience menopause. The focus area is often the tummy.
94.    Stress and depression can make your stomach even bigger.
95.    Our body doesn’t burn calories as much and fast as it did when we were younger. Why? – Because metabolism tends to slow down, when we get older.
96.    Consume more foods high in protein like (grilled chicken, fish, egg whites, lean turkey, etc.) to lose as much as weight and fat you can. But do not restrict your diet only with those kinds of foods alone.
97.    Be careful while choosing weight loss program for children and teens. Surely consult a family. Do not forget that their bodies are still developing. So in this case, you may do more harm than good.
98.    Some people can achieve six pack easily, while others have to hard work. Why? – Because it is usually up to your genes, age, and metabolic system.
99.    90% of most schools have easy access to unhealthy snacks. Therefore alone in 2008 World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that more than 22 million children under the age of 5 years are obese in the world.
100.    The leading causes of chronic diseases are physical inactivity, poor diet, and obesity.
101.    Weight loss with the help of diet pills will mainly result in regain of those lost weight within just a few weeks/months.

Tags: BMI, diet, facts and figures, obesity, overweight, proper nutrition, weight loss

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