The World's Heaviest Countries

Yahoo News
Marjan Lazarevski via Flickr
Marjan Lazarevski via Flickr

Reporting by Sabrina Perry, GRAPHIQ.

Fast forward 15 years to 2030. Humans are sicker than ever. Life expectancy has decreased and productivity is down.

What’s the underlying cause? Obesity.

Analysts predict that 50 percent of American adults will be obese by 2030. Though the U.S. is particularly infamous for its less-than-athletic population, obesity now plagues many of the world’s countries. In developing nations, the ill-effects of obesity take a particularly high toll. Obese citizens are more prone to chronic illness, thus hindering their productivity and causing undue stress on the country’s economy and health systems.

Since low- and middle-income countries continue to deal with problems of infectious illness and malnutrition, the upsurge in obesity-related health issues creates a “double burden” of disease, according to the World Health Organization. As paradoxical as it may seem, this “double burden” makes sense. Foods high in fat, sugar and energy, but lacking in micronutrients, tend to be cheaper — both in cost and nutrient quality. This dietary pattern, when coupled with a lack of physical activity, drastically increases obesity levels.

The experts at HealthGrove wanted to examine this epidemic, so they looked at countries with populations over 150K and crunched the numbers. Though once considered a problem of wealthy nations, this list of the 25 most obese countries shows just how much this condition has spread.

 

 

#25. Solomon Islands

Country: Solomon Islands
Population: 597,248
Obesity Rate: 27.7 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 69 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 1.16B

 

#24. Chile

Country: Chile
Population: 17,216,945
Obesity Rate: 27.8 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 80 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 258B

 

#23. Papua New Guinea

Country: Papua New Guinea
Population: 6,431,902
Obesity Rate: 27.9 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 62 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 15.4B

 

#22. Canada

Country: Canada
Population: 3,456,8211
Obesity Rate: 28 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 82 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 1.79T

 

#21. Mexico

Country: Mexico
Population: 116,220,947
Obesity Rate: 28.1 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 75 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 1.28T

 

#20. United Kingdom

Country: United Kingdom
Population: 63,395,574
Obesity Rate: 28.1 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 81 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 2.94T

 

#19. Australia

Country: Australia
Population: 22,262,501
Obesity Rate: 28.6 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 83 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 1.45T

 

#18. Egypt

Country: Egypt
Population: 85,294,388
Obesity Rate: 28.9 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 71 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 287B

 

#17. New Zealand

Country: New Zealand
Population: 4,365,113
Obesity Rate: 29.2 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 82 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 188B

 

#16. Turkey

Country: Turkey
Population: 80,694,485
Obesity Rate: 29.5 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 75 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 800B

 

#15. Jordan

Country: Jordan
Population: 6,482,081
Obesity Rate:30.5 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 74 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 35.8B

 

#14. Oman

Country: Oman
Population: 3,154,134
Obesity Rate: 30.9 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 76 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 81.8B

 

#13. Trinidad and Tobago

Country: Trinidad and Tobago
Population: 1,225,225
Obesity Rate: 31.1 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 71 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 24.4B

 

#12. Barbados

Country: Barbados
Population: 288,725
Obesity Rate: 31.3 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 78 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 4.35B

 

#11. Lebanon

Country: Lebanon
Population: 4,131,583
Obesity Rate: 31.9 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 80 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 45.7B

 

#10. Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Country: Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Population: 6,002,347
Obesity Rate: 33.1 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 75 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 41.1B

 

#9. United States

Country: United States
Population: 316,668,567
Obesity Rate: 33.7 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 79 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 17.4T

 

#8. Saudi Arabia

Country: Saudi Arabia
Population: 26,939,583
Obesity Rate: 34.7 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 76 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 746B

 

#7. Bahrain

Country: Bahrain
Population: 1,281,332
Obesity Rate: 35.1 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 77 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 33.9B

 

#6. Bahamas

Country: Bahamas
Population: 316,182
Obesity Rate: 36.2 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 76 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 8.51B

 

#5. Fiji

Country: Fiji
Population: 896,758
Obesity Rate: 36.4 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 70 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 4.03B

 

#4. United Arab Emirates

Country: United Arab Emirates
Population: 5,473,972
Obesity Rate: 37.2 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 77 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 402B

 

#3. Kuwait

Country: Kuwait
Population: 2,695,316
Obesity Rate: 39.7 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 78 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 176B

 

#2. Qatar

Country: Qatar
Population: 2,042,444
Obesity Rate: 42.3 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 79 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 212B

 

#1. Samoa

Country: Samoa
Population: 195,476
Obesity Rate: 43.4 percent
Average Life Expectancy: 73 years
2014 GDP (U.S. Dollars): 801M