American restaurateurs can rejoice. We are no longer the fattest nation on earth. In spite of the First Lady’s protestations, or perhaps in part because of them, the United States has been surpassed by the Middle Eastern oil barons of Kuwait for the title of fattest industrialized nation on the planet.
In fact, not only is Kuwait the top country for the world’s fattest people, but the United Arab Emirates, home to such storied places as Dubai and Abu Dhabi is also larger than us.
Pacific Islanders Also Quite Rotund
As if that wasn’t reason enough to quit worrying about that Big Mac and extra large fries on your plate, there are also some Pacific islands with fatter populations than the United States.
They have been rapidly introduced to Western diets and as such have had less time to get used to them than we have so that their populations have grown fatter at a higher rate.
Not Really Such Good News
Of course, just because our country no longer claims the title of fattest nation on earth doesn’t mean that we don’t have an obesity problem here. A recent episode of the new scripted drama Harry’s Law in fact did an expose on the subject.
The show offered a glimpse of how fast food restaurants do seem to proliferate in poor neighborhoods, offering residents there fewer choices for healthy eating than the rest of us may enjoy.
One in Nine Obese
The numbers by the way are actually pretty scary – it turns out that one in nine people the world over are obese and the rate of obesity, especially in developed nations is still increasing at an alarming rate.
So, while we may take a small measure of pride in knowing we’re no longer the fattest nation on earth, we do have quite a ways to go and as such, we should continue to offer healthy options for our diners.
Jim Balis' Blog 