Obesity is a worldwide problem

There is only one sure and proven way to longevity: keep your weight down. In consuming excessive amounts of calories, the majority of these calories are devoid of nutrition needed for cellular function. Our cells are therefore not getting the adequate amount of nutrients. Always eat whole fruits or whole food, and keep your weight at 5-10% below your ideal body weight.

Obesity is fast becoming a worldwide problem and it seems to be most prevalent among the poor.

From Egypt to Papua New Guinea, the percentage of the overweight population is increasing. This is partly due to the Westernization of nutrition habits and lifestyle.

Today, about 10-12 developing countries have levels of obesity exceeding those of the US. And it seems to be hitting the low-to-middle income populations particularly hard, with this category displaying the fastest rate in increasing obesity levels.

While children in developing countries have their weight down, usually due to infectious diseases, their weight would increase dramatically once they reach adulthood. For example, in 1998, 70% of all Egyptian women are overweight and 50% of their men are. In Mexico, the percentage of the overweight population is almost on par with that of the US. However, it is accelerating at a rate much faster than that of the US.

The fattening of the world's population is likely to have massive public health consequences. India and China are reporting more new cases of type 2 diabetes than the rest of the world combined.

Source: Annual Meeting of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science's New York February 16, 2002.