Last week a study of one hundred ninety-nine countries confirmed what many people may have already noticed. People around the world are getting fatter. The study found that obesity has almost doubled since 1980. Majid Ezzati, who led the research team, says the results show that obesity, high blood pressure and high blood pressure are no longer just found in wealthy nations. These are now worldwide problems. The study appeared shows that in 2008, almost ten percent of men were obese. That was up from about five percent in 1980. That same year, almost eight percent of women were obese. By 2008, the rate of obesity among women was almost fourteen percent. Obesity is commonly measured by body mass index , or BMI. This is a measure of a person's weight in relation to height. A person with a BMI of twenty-five to twenty-nine is considered overweight. The World Health Organization defines obesity as a body mass index of thirty or more. Pacific island nations have an average BMI of around thirty-five -- the highest in the world. But the study found that the United States had the single highest average among wealthy countries. Men and women had an average BMI of over twenty-eight. New Zealand was next. Japan had the lowest, at about twenty-two for women and twenty-four for men. The report had some good news, however, about high blood pressure. The percentage of people with this major cause of heart attacks and strokes has fallen since 1980. Dr. Ezzati credits improved testing and treatment in wealthy countries. He says a decrease in the use of salt and unhealthful fats probably also helped. In the United States, new guidelines urge Americans to reduce salt, sugar and fatty meats and to eat more fish and whole grains. People are being urged to choose water over sugared drinks and to eat more fruits and vegetables. But whatever they eat, Americans are being urged to follow new advice from the government: eat less. What is the advice on reducing obesity from the government of America?
To eat less. To eat more fish. To reduce salt and sugar. To eat more whole grains.