The 30 most obese countries in the world in 2018 represent a huge (pun intended) market opportunity for weight loss drugmakers. Increasingly sedentary lifestyles and a lack of healthy eating habits among large swaths of the global population have resulted in dramatically rising obesity rates in the past few decades, particularly in urban settings.
Obesity is a relatively modern problem and figuring out how to combat it the most effectively is likewise in its infancy. While the growth in obesity rates is partly thanks to our improved global wealth, by no means is it only prevalent among wealthy societies. Low- and middle-income countries are being hit equally hard and even far-flung regions of the world like remote Pacific islands have fallen prey to imports of fatty junk food and sugary beverages.
Obesity is clinically defined as excessive deposits of fat that pose a serious health risk. It is generally measured in terms of Body Mass Index (or BMI), which is a person’s weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of his or her height (in meters). People with a BMI of more than or equal to 30 are classified as obese.
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Many of the 30 most obese countries in the world in 2018 are island nations in the Pacific and Caribbean. The governments in most of these countries already have or are planning to ban imported carbonated soft drinks, candy, tinned meat, and other imported junk food. Ignorance, lack of nutrition education, and English labeling of food products are some of the reasons why people in these regions consume a large variety of packaged junk food. Governments are also trying to promote the consumption of local, healthy and fresh produce and emphasizing physical activity like exercise and walking.
Obesity is now considered a chronic disease which increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Countries with high rates of obesity are also the biggest anti-obesity drug markets. And since obesity leads to other major ailments like diabetes, big pharmaceutical companies have large portfolios of diabetes drugs that are also benefiting from this growth trend. According to Research And Markets, the global anti-obesity drugs market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 20.9% from 2017 through 2023.
Novartis AG (ADR) (NYSE:NVS), Sanofi SA ADR (NYSE:SNY), Novo Nordisk A/S (ADR) (NYSE:NVO), and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) are among the pharma companies trying to find effective and reliable solutions to reduce obesity rates. Novo Nordisk A/S (ADR) (NYSE:NVO)’s Saxenda is a new medicine available in Qatar to fight obesity. It was launched in 2015 in the U.S. The company is making a huge investment in researching and developing new anti-obesity drugs. Another drug called Contrave, developed by Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:OREX), was also recently approved. Several anti-obesity drugs have proven effective at greatly reducing body mass and offer a convenient solution for people who do not want to spend a fortune on surgeries and for whom changes in diet or exercise have not been overly successful.
Our list of the 30 Most Obese Countries In The World in 2018 – Biggest Anti-Obesity Drug Markets, has been prepared based on the common choices between four websites – Renewbariatrics, Telegraph, WorldAtlas, and Graphicmaps.com. The list has been divided into four groups, with the first group comprising countries that were common across all four sources and so forth. We have ranked each country based on the percentage of their population that qualifies as obese.
Group IV
30. Canada
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 30.1%
Canada can no longer take much solace from the fact that its neighbor to the south was the really obese one, as Canada now ranks among the most obese countries in the world itself. Saskatchewan has Canada’s highest obesity rate by province, while Ontario also has a large number of obese people.
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29. Antigua and Barbuda
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 31%
Antigua and Barbuda are prosperous islands in the Caribbean. Rising income levels and less active lifestyles are cited as the prime reasons for obesity among its people.
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28. Turkey
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 32%
Turkey is one of the most obese countries in the world, with nearly one in every three Turks being obese. The rate of obesity is higher among women. Turkish people seem to have drifted away from a healthy Mediterranean diet comprising fish, fruits, and veggies to one containing more sugar.
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27. Andorra
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 32.1%
Andorra is the smallest European nation suffering from a high rate of obesity. An increase in tourism has led to Andorra becoming a wealthy international commercial center. As a result, this nation with a small population has a high rate of obesity, which is increasing every year.
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26. Trinidad and Tobago
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 32.3%
Trinidad and Tobago are the twin islands in the Caribbean which are now suffering from a growing segment of their populations being obese. A growing trend of fast food consumption has led to a large number of people becoming obese on these islands.
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25. Jordan
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 36%
Unhealthy eating habits and a lack of physical activity have led to more and more people in Jordan becoming obese. On the next page, we’ll move to Group III countries on our list of the 30 Most Obese Countries In The World in 2018.
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Group III
24. New Zealand
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 30.6%
Nearly one in every three New Zealanders is obese and people in the 45-65 age groups have an even higher rate of obesity. The government is formulating regulations for the food and beverage industry and is promoting healthier eating habits.
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23. Lebanon
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 30.8%
Lebanon is a small middle-income country in the Eastern Mediterranean. Obesity is a rising health problem in Lebanon which has also resulted in an increase of hypertension, diabetes and heart disease among its people.
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22. Egypt
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 32%
Egypt is a country with a high proportion of obese adults. Lack of physical activity and consumption of rich and fatty foods have led to a high degree of obesity among Egyptians. The problem is more prevalent in children and young adults.
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21. Barbados
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 33.2%
Barbados is among the most obese nations in Latin America and the Caribbean. Obesity is particularly high in children and women due to improper food consumption patterns.
20. Vanuatu
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 35.40%
The problem of obesity has become so acute in the Pacific island nation that Vanuatu is planning to replace imported junk food with fresh local produce at all government functions.
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19. Niue
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 43.20%
Another island nation in the South Pacific, Niue is one of the most obese countries in the world with an obesity ratio of 43.2%. Poor health education and sedentary lifestyles are the primary reasons for obesity among the people in Niue.
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Group II
18. Libya
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 33.10%
Next on our list of the 30 most obese countries in the world in 2018 is the Middle Eastern country of Libya. An affluent lifestyle is contributing towards obesity in the country. More than 50% of women in Libya are considered obese.
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17. Fiji
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 36.40%
Fiji has witnessed a rapid increase in its obesity levels over the last decade. A change in food consumption from healthy starchy roots, green leaves, fish, coconuts, and fruits, to flour, sugar, sweetened beverages, oils, and canned meat is one of the principal reasons people are becoming obese in the Fiji islands.
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16. The United Arab Emirates
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 37.20%
Obesity has crept up in the UAE over the last three decades. As a result of the prevalence of obesity, there is a high incidence of type 2 diabetes among its citizens. The country has prospered financially and a large number of expatriates also reside in the UAE, which has lead to a surge in sedentary lifestyles and people suffering from obesity and diabetes.
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15. Tuvalu
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 40.30%
Tuvalu is one of the smaller Pacific island countries, one which has seen its obesity rate double from what it was in 1975. Poor diet and lack of exercise have pushed people towards the brink of obesity and beyond.
14. Cook Islands
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 50.80%
With reasons ranging from physiological to lifestyle and people’s habits, more than 50% of the Cook Islands’ population is suffering from obesity. A rise in the tourism industry has also led people to flock towards chips and soft drinks rather than fresh fruits and veggies. In order to curb sugar intake, the Cook Islands has raised duties on the sugar in imported drinks.
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Group I
13. United States of America
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 33.70%
More than one-third of U.S. adults are obese. An increase in mortality rates due to rising chronic ailments like heart disease is the result of the high obesity rate among people in the U.S. The rate of growth in obesity has slowed down in recent years as Americans have shifted their focus to healthier lifestyles and eating habits.
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12. Saudi Arabia
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 34.70%
A busy lifestyle in Saudi Arabia has forced its people to adopt a fast food eating habit. Many cities do not have proper areas designated for walking, which further hinders people from getting exercise.
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11. Bahrain
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 35.10%
Nearly half of the adult male population and one-third of the female population in Bahrain are overweight or obese, according to stats from its Health Ministry. Excessive eating and lack of exercise are the leading causes of obesity in the country.
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10. Bahamas
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 36.20%
The Caribbean island of Bahamas ranks tenth on our list of the 30 Most Obese Countries in the World in 2018. Women are 10 percentage points more obese than men. Unhealthy food choices consisting of more fat, sugar and salt and inactive lifestyles are leading more Bahamians towards obesity.
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9. Federated States of Micronesia
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 37.20%
People in Micronesia suffer from a high deficiency of Vitamin A. The Federated States of Micronesia is promoting local foods in order to dissuade the younger generation from the consumption of packaged and unhealthy food.
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8. Kuwait
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 39.70%
Another country with a large population of obese citizens is Kuwait, with 39.7% of its population classified as obese. A growing fast food culture and the region’s continued prosperity from oil are the main reasons why people are increasingly overweight and/or obese in Kuwait. Kuwait is also the country with the largest number of reported stomach stapling surgeries worldwide.
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7. Kiribati
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 40.60%
Kiribati is an island nation located in the Pacific Ocean. A high consumption of processed fast food is mentioned as one of the main reasons for obesity in the nation’s people.
6. Qatar
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 42.30%
Qatar is one of the richest nations on earth, with large deposits of oil and gas. The country has a sedentary lifestyle, which is taking a toll on the lives of its youth. Diabetes, birth defects, and genetic disorders are other common disorders among its people attributed to its weight problems.
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5. Marshall Islands
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 42.80%
The Marshall Islands is located about 2,300 miles southwest of Hawaii. A large population of people residing in these islands is suffering from diabetes and almost 50% of surgeries performed on the island are amputations arising out of complications from this disease.
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4. Tonga
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 43.30%
Another Pacific island, about 40% of Tonga’s citizens suffer from type 2 diabetes. People here are fond of imported junk food and cheap meat such as tinned corned beef, cheap chicken, turkey tails, and mutton flaps, which are cited as the main reason for people’s obesity. The average life expectancy of people in Tonga has fallen alarmingly in recent years as a result, to 67 years today from 72.5 years in 2012.
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3. Samoa
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 43.40%
Nine out of ten people living in Samoa are overweight. The Samoans consume a lot of high-fat imported foods and fizzy drinks with high sugar content instead of fresh, local and healthy produce.
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2. Nauru
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 45.60%
Nauru is a small island in the Pacific Ocean. The country is home to many residents suffering from type 2 diabetes. Nauruans are used to a sedentary lifestyle and an unhealthy diet because of rich deposits of minerals found in the nation.
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1. Palau
Percentage of Population Considered Obese – 47.60%
Ranking first on our list of the 30 Most Obese Countries In The World in 2018 is Palau, a group of islands located south of Japan in the Western Pacific Ocean. The main reason the nation is obese is due to its eating habits. The country gets most of its food from the U.S and it is difficult to procure healthy food across the islands. As a result, people often end up consuming less healthy food options.
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