Obesity Rates Around the World

In most OECD countries that collect self-reported weight data, more than half of adults were overweight or obese and nearly one in five were obese in 2021 (latest available data). Obesity prevalence was particularly high in the United States, with just over a third of respondents saying that they are obese. In Chile and the United Kingdom rates were just above one in four, while Korea had the lowest share of people with obesity of the countries studied at just 4.3 percent. Men were more likely to be overweight or obese in all countries studied, with a difference of 19-20 percentage points between Germany, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic.

According to the World Health Organization, a body mass index (BMI) of over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 obese. Obesity is linked to a range of health issues such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and several common cancers. Although awareness is increasing around the topic, obesity is still often misunderstood due to misconceptions of it being solely due to poor lifestyle choices, whereas factors such as genetic predisposition and environmental influences are also important.

Monday 4 March is World Obesity Day.