Rising levels of obesity is a worldwide concern. Some people even fear that being overweight and obese has become the new normal.

People who are overweight and obese are at higher risks of developing serious health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancers, and strokes. Which is why it is imperative to address weight issues as soon as they arise and try to maintain a healthy weight.

But with so many people in the world who are overweight or obese, how do we tackle global obesity?

Global Obesity

What determines being overweight and being obese? Your Body Mass Index (BMI) can help to determine whether or not you are overweight or obese.

BMI compares your height and your weight to work out whether or not you are a healthy weight and size for your height.

According to the NHS, if you have a BMI of between 18.5 and 24.9 it means you are a healthy weight. If your BMI is between 25 and 29.9 it means that you are overweight. If you have a BMI of between 30 and 39.9 you are classed as obese. And if your BMI is higher than 40, it means that you are severely obese.

However, BMI doesn’t always indicate how healthy someone is, for example, people who are very muscular can have high BMI because muscle weighs more than fat.

Another way to determine whether you have excess fat is to measure your waist size.

It is believed that if men have a waist size of 94cm or more then they are likely to develop obesity-related health problems. And women who have a waist size of 80cm or more are also at risk of developing health problems due to obesity.

BMI’s Around the World

It is estimated that 2.1 billion people in the world (30% of the population) are obese. The worst countries for obesity levels include Naura which has an average BMI of 32.5, Tonga which has an average BMI of 31.9, and Samoa which has an average BMI of 31.7.

The United States of America has an average BMI of 28.8. New Zealand has an average BMI of 27.9. The United Kingdom has an average BMI of 27.3, whilst Australia and Canada follow closely behind with both countries having an average BMI of 27.2.

So as you can see there is a global issues with people who are overweight and obese, something which countries all over the world are trying to fix.

How to Tackle the Problem

Unfortunately, there is no quick fix or no fix where one-size fits all. This is a process.

People need to be taught about the types of food they should and should not be eating, and the ways in which they can live a happy and healthy lifestyle. The focus should be on what it means to be healthy and how you can maintain that lifestyle as opposed to how you can lose weight quickly.

Another way to tackle the problem is by monitoring and tracking weight loss, for example checking the weighing scales. This shouldn’t be an obsessive thing that people do daily because this too can be damaging to people’s health, however it is important to regularly check. Understanding and tracking any weight loss or gain can help people determine what they need to do more or less of.

Implementing healthier diet into your lifestyle is a great way to ensure that your body is getting the right nutrients it needs. But it is also important to exercise regularly as this helps to burn calories and improve overall health levels of people.

Educating people about their lifestyle choices and what choices lead to what futures is the best way to tackle global obesity. You can only give people the tools they need to succeed, you can’t do it for them.