Worldwide obesity rates at all-time high but U.S. leads the way

A new global study reveals the numbers of adults and children considered obese is higher than ever in all countries. The study, published in The Lancet, finds a rapid increase in obesity rates in the past 33 years. The rate of adults considered obese and overweight went up 28 percent, and childhood rates rose 47 percent. The greatest increase in adult obesity centered in the U.S., where approximately one-third of the population is obese. Authors urged global action to help countries establish successful interventions due to the known health risks associated with obesity. "Not only is obesity increasing, but no national success stories have been reported in the past 33 years," the authors concluded. Study abstract