Two out of five men and almost a third of women around the world are now overweight, a major population study has shown. Almost a quarter of men and 27 percent of women are fat enough to be considered obese, according to the findings. Doctors assessed 168,159 people aged 18 to 80 in 63 countries across five continents. A tape measure was used to record the waist circumference of all those taking part. Relative weight and height were also measured to provide Body Mass Index (BMI) figures.
Lead author Dr. Beverly Balkau, from French state-run medical research institute Inserm, in Villejuif, said, "This is the largest study to assess the frequency of adiposity (body fat) in the clinic, providing a snapshot of patients worldwide.
