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For most of my life, I've always assumed that obesity was directly connected with dietary habits, and probably genetics. According to the latest research, though, I couldn't have been further from the truth. According to this study, obesity is caused by living in a country which is officially classified as "wealthy", and which has a high per capita density of fast-food restaurants. It's that simple.
All this time, I thought that it was my fault, (or my genetics), that caused me to gain weight that I didn't want, when all along, it was actually the country's fault. Now that I know the truth, I can pig out without any guilt.Countries with the highest density of restaurants per capita were the U.S. and Canada: 7.52 and 7.43 per 100,000 people, respectively. In the U.S. the prevalence of obesity for men and women is about 32%, while in Canada it's about 23%.
Japan, however, has far fewer of the fast-food restaurants, 0.13 per 100,000 people, and a far lower obesity rate: 2.9% for men and 3.3% for women. Similarly, Norway has 0.19 restaurants per 100,000 people and an obesity rate of 6.4% for men and 5.9% for women.
http://www.latimes.com/health/boostersh ... 2248.story
Obviously, this study is a clear example of why epidemiological studies always have to be viewed with a critical eye. Unfortunately, they are often used to prove a pre-determined conclusion, by means of coincidental, but irrelevant facts. If I wanted to reverse a weight problem, I seriously doubt that moving to Japan would do the trick.
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