"Overweight people now outnumber the undernourished." [UPDATE]

Worldwide. So says Daniel DiRito at Donklephant, citing an Australian diabetes expert quoted in this AP article. The expert calls obesity a "pandemic" that is "as big a threat as . . . bird flu."

To be more precise, an estimated 1 billion are overweight. About 600 million are undernourished. And 300 million are frankly obese.

The problem is no longer limited to the developed world; one in three Thais, for instance, is at risk.

"We are not dealing with a scientific or medical problem. We're dealing with an enormous economic problem that, it is already accepted, is going to overwhelm every medical system in the world," said Dr. Philip James, the British chairman of the International Obesity Task Force.

The task force is a section of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, a professional organization of scientists and health workers in some 50 countries that deal with the issue.

James said the cost of treating obesity-related health problems was immeasurable on a global scale, but the group estimated it at billions of dollars a year in countries such as Australia, Britain and the United States.

Among the most worrying problems are skyrocketing rates of obesity among children, which make them much more prone to chronic diseases as they grow older and could shave years off their lives, experts said.

The children in this generation may be the first in history to die before their parents because of health problems related to weight, Kate Steinbeck, an expert in children's health at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, said in a statement.

Doesn't this change your conventional picture of the world? Hands off that second cookie, Jimmy! Think of the bulging Armenians!

UPDATE: William Saletan just wrote a really good piece on this in Slate, with more detail.

Egyptian, Mexican, and South African women are now as fat as Americans. Far more Filipino adults are now overweight than underweight. In China, one in five adults is too heavy, and the rate of overweight in children is 28 times higher than it was two decades ago. In Thailand, Kuwait, and Tunisia, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are soaring.

Hunger is far from conquered. But since 1990, the global rate of malnutrition has declined an average of 1.7 percent a year. Based on data from the World Health Organization and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, for every two people who are malnourished, three are now overweight or obese. Among women, even in most African countries, overweight has surpassed underweight.

The original is studded with links and includes statistics about how the poor are now fatter than the rich and middle-class.

You no longer have to be rich to die a rich man's death.

Soon, it'll be a poor man's death. The rich have Whole Foods, gyms, and personal trainers. The poor have 7-Eleven, Popeye's, and streets unsafe for walking.

Comments

[meade]

Many overweight people are also undernourished -- undernourished not in lacking calories but in lacking calories carrying essential nutrients. Call it the French Fry Paradox or I'm-So-Full-I-Can't-Eat-Another-Bite-But-I'm-Still-Hungry-For-Something-I-Can't-Quite-Put-My-Finger-On...

1. diets high in sugars and trans fats but deficient in essential nutrients ➡

2. short term satiation but long term hunger ➡

3. over-consumption of available calories deficient in essential nutrients ➡

4. hunger and disease ➡

5. decreased mobility ➡

6. more calories stored as adipose, fewer calories burned as fuel ➡

7. obesity, disease, mood disorders, loss of appetite for nutrient-dense foods...

Jimmy probably wouldn't be reaching for that second cookie (and third, and so on) if more nutrient-dense foods were made available to him along with someone teaching him self-discipline.

There are health benefits to children hearing from parents: "Yes you may have a cookie AFTER you've had at least one bite of every [deliciously nutrient-dense] thing on your plate. Then you may go outside and play [and use your muscles]."

Of course, there are also health benefits to parents hearing from their children: "Instead of cookies and cola, could we try Stonyfield Farm whole milk plain yogurt with granola, blueberries, cinnamon, and a touch of honey on top?"

[meade]

Important Disclaimer: The information provided by the above commenter is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, prevent any disease or give medical advice. Always consult your family health practitioner before starting, changing or altering your personal health regimen.

[Bonnie]

I have a young friend doing his internship at a large city emergency room. He has become so discouraged because the standard procedures taught in medical school are for average size people. However, the majority of those he has to treat are above average in body mass. The difficulty in trying to find a vein, calculate the amount of medicine for a person of increased size, etc., have made him feel his efforts are doomed to failure.

Makes one wonder what the future holds for us all.