Obesity Epidemic: Like Mexico, US Is More Than 20 Percentage Points Fatter Than The World Average

The United States isn’t the most obese country in North America, but it’s second only by a single percentage point. With 32.8 percent of its adult population with a body mass index topping 30, Mexico now has that dubious honor, according to a recently released report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

An adult over the age of 20 with a body mass index of 30 or higher is considered obese, according to the FAO.

The U.S.’ 31.8 percent might be a teeny bit lower than Mexico’s number, but it’s still more than 20 percentage points higher than the world average -- 11.1 percent.

Several Pacific Islander countries and territories have even higher obesity rates. With an obesity rate of 71.1 percent, Nauru is the fattest country in the world.

Many African and Asian countries have escaped the obesity epidemic. At 1.1 percent, Bangladesh has the lowest obesity rate in the world, followed by Ethiopia (1.2 percent), Nepat (1.5 percent) and Vietnam (1.6 percent).

Check out this map of obesity rates around the world, based on 2008 data included in the recently released FAO report. Click on any country to see what percentage of its adult population is obese.