USA: No Longer the Fattest Nation in the World

Crikey! (sp?) That's incredible (if it holds up to statistical analysis). I knew Australia was in the top 3, but that is unbelievable! From everything I hear, they have a fantastic medical system. I guess it just goes to show the global reach of westernization.

Hopefully,we are able to decrease the obesity rate in our country. I know that recently it was reported that childhood obesity in the U.S. didn't decrease for the first time in many years. This is a good first step and hopefully the beginning of an even greater trend. I guess it's good that the U.S. statistically doesn't have the highest obesity rate, but I think most people will agree that the rate flattens out and decreases as opposed to having other countries just increasing at a faster rate. Also, I had no idea that Australia had similar obesity issues to the U.S.

I am from Australia and i can confirm that this is true. It has been receiving a lot of media attention the past few days. We have a terrific medical system, however one in three people are obese.

Damn!

That seems like such a high number for either country. No wonder Japan has resorted to measuring waists as a preventative measure.

Which country leads in morbid obesity?

I don't think this is entirely accurate. Although the U.S. and Australia may be battling for the title of the most obese advanced Western nation, there are nations in the Pacific Islands that are considerably more obese. For example, in places such as Samoa, Tonga, and Nauru, adult obesity rates are between 60 and 80%.

It's still a pretty close contest...25% vs. 26% To me, that's not statistically far enough apart for me to believe that Australia is THAT much worse-off than the US. It's pretty interesting that Australia is the country that beat us out. I was thinking it would be the UK.

I'm betting the US still leads in morbid obesity though. In my traveling experience, other countries have fat people, but I've seen VERY few people that are as gigantic as a lot of Americans I see. There's a pretty big difference between an obese person with a BMI of 30 and one with a BMI of say, 50.

That last point is very true. I also feel compelled to add that the problem is not as bad in Australia as the article might indicate. The statistics have been horribly skewed, as the Sydney Morning Herald is prone to doing, and the study itself is intended as a scare tactic. Obesity is a major issue in Australia, this study is a part of the government push to try and combat it. It is hard to underestimate the affect on the Australian psyche that the phrase “worse then America” has. Many Australians are overweight, but like anything the source has to be evaluated in terms of it’s own merit.

WOW! i thought that we were like a bit fat but not like THE fattest nation in the world! Jeesh! Just so you know out of all my friends and people i regularly see theres like only 2 or 3 of them that I'd classify as "Fat". I think this article and the one in the Sydney Morning Herald is stereotyping us as "fattys". But i guess thats what everyone's done in the past.

Is anyone reading the news? Obesity hasn't been at 25% in the U.S. for years. Most of the media use 30% but according to the CDC National Center for Health Statistics, the actual obesity rate for those over age 20 in the US is 34%.

Don't count us Canadians out. I bet we can get our obesity rate up to 75%. mmmmmm donuts.

I think the statistics are measuring different paramaters.

If I were a betting man, I would put my money on the US as the fattest nation in the world.

I'm from the deep south and so many people are really big down there.

C'mon people. less donuts, more treadmill!