Why is obesity higher in developing countries?
As the economies of developing coun- tries continue to improve, the risk of becoming obese increases across all socio- economic classes as a result of improved access to food, decreased physical activity, and the consumption of “western” diets (Popkin, 1993; Cavalli-Sforza et al., 1996; Drewnowski and Popkin, 1997).
Do developing countries or developed countries have higher obesity rates?
These across-the-board increases translate into the global overweight and obese population ballooning from 857 million in 1980 to 2.1 billion in 2013. Men tend to have higher obesity rates in developed countries, and women tend to have higher rates in developing countries.
Why are poor countries obese?
To date, this paradox has been described in the United States and the United Kingdom, although many European countries are also experiencing high percentages of obese people. Among the reasons for the growing obesity in the population of poor people are: higher unemployment, lower education level, and irregular meals.