The Washington Post has a great interactive graphic showing how the “world” is gaining weight since the 1980s. (Weight of the world: Change in the world’s BMI since 1980 | The Washington Post). As they say:
With a few exceptions, the average body mass index in most countries has risen since 1980, according to a project that tracked risk factors for heart disease and stroke in 199 countries over 28 years
Some thoughts on that:
- Overall the average age of the world is getting older. Older people will normally be heavier than younger people. Aging may have something to do with weight gain.
- In the wealthier parts of the world, gaining weight could be seen as a sign of a poor diet overall. However, for the poorer parts of the world, gaining weight could be a sign of a better diet. Gaining weight is not necessarily bad.
- In Europe, the overall weight gain is less. Mind you, they also tend to be overweight. This could be a sign that in developed parts of the world, there is an effort to cut back.
I recommend you check it out. It is quite good.
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