World Obesity Up, Blood Pressure Down

The world is getting fatter, and Americans are getting fat faster than people in any other country, a report has found. The report covers 199 countries. It provides numbers on weight, blood pressure and cholesterol. Numbers are from 2008. They are compared with numbers from 1980. In that time, obesity nearly doubled. Now about 10% of the world’s men and 14% of women are obese. The United States is the fattest country among rich nations. Japan is the slimmest. But the world rate of uncontrolled high blood pressure fell. Average blood pressure in the United States is among the world’s lowest. Other high-income countries also had large drops. Cholesterol levels fell in North America, Australia and Europe. However, cholesterol has risen in parts of Asia. These are developing areas where people now have more income and eat more meat. The journal Lancet published the reports.