Worldwide Obsession With Weight

Thank you Pat, for the article you gave me regarding a worldwide study on weight. There's so much information in here, it's hard for me to decide what to tell you. I will just give you some facts about worldwide obesity and the attitudes and behaviors of men and women in the 16 countries they surveyed. The study reveals the country where being fat is no big deal and the spot where this is the most in. It makes clear which nation blames America for this obesity epidemic and which points the finger at itself. It shows who's dieting, who's doing surgery, and who's positively reckless in paring the pounds. Here we go.

Finland is the country most aware of the dangers of obesity. In the 1970's Finland had the world's highest incidence of deaths from heart diseas. Through a public campaign to educate people about diet, exercise and the dangers of smoking, heart disease has been slashed 80% in the last three decades and added nearly ten years to the average Finn's life.

Brazil is the country that feels the most pressure to be thin. In Rio, where people are expected to wear as few clothes as possible, there is a genuine cult of the body. It was found that 83% of the people think there's too much emphasis place on weight. But, the percentage of the population taking diet pills doubled between 2001and 2005 and plastic surgery is booming. In comparison, 62% of Americans say there is too much focus on weight.

Hungary is the country where you're loved just the way you are. They seem to be out of the mainstream, as most countries surveyed were obsessed with dieting, plastic surger, and diet pills.

China consumes the most diet pills. This really surprised me. 37% of the Chinese admit to taking weight-loss pills. Experts say that body consciousness is growing throughout China, and diet pills are seen as quick and trendy way to achieve the ideal.

France is the country most likely to blame Americans for their weight problem. They point to our fast food addiction as a prime culprit in their weight problem. At least we take responsibility for the effects of our fast-food habit. Almost 75% of Americans say our way of eating promotes obesity.

Mexico is the country with the highest weight loss IQ. By that I mean, 93% of Mexicans report switching to more healthful food in an attempt to lose weight. 86% have also tried to become more physiclly active. More than any other country surveyed, Mexico knows the sensible approach to weight loss-even if they don't always put it into practic.

Finally, America is the country where women struggle most with weight loss. More than half of American women said that being overweight makes life more difficult.

It's interesting to note that we're not alone in our struggle to keep our weight in check. It's become a global problem, but the solution will be found locally. The Finns found a way to reduce heart disease by over 80%. We must keep educating our people and hoping the information will sink in.