More than 2 billion people around the world are now overweight or obese, according to a new University of Washington study in The Lancet. Since 1980, the global proportion of women who are overweight or obese has gone from 30% to 38%; men have gone from 29% to 40%, overtaking women in percentage overweight or obese. Overall, the greatest increases in overweight and obesity came between 1992 and 2002, primarily in those ages 20 to 40. The study found some evidence that weight gain is slowing, especially in developed countries like the US. People in the developing world, however, especially women, continue packing on the pounds. Women in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Honduras and Bahrain saw the greatest increases in obesity levels, while men gained the most in Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, as well as New Zealand and the US.
