Weight Issues Around the World

Is the United States the only country worried about its collective weight? A new Reader’s Digest survey has analyzed responses from 16,000 people in 16 countries to find out what people around the world think about weight. Here are some of the findings:

The most pressure to be thin: Brazilians topped the list, with 83 percent complaining that the culture places too much emphasis on weight. India was second, at 68 percent, and the United States ranked third, with 62 percent complaining about an overemphasis on weight.
Wives who want their husband to lose weight: Just over half of married women in the United States want a thinner husband, while 47 percent of married American men said they were unhappy with their wife’s weight.
Husbands who want their wife to lose weight: Indian men were most unhappy with their spouse’s weight, with 48 percent saying they wished their wife was thinner.
Most likely to use weight loss pills: The survey found that 37 percent of people in China had used weight loss drugs, followed by Brazil (30 percent), Russia (24 percent) and Mexico (23 percent). In the United States, 19 percent said they used diet pills.
Most likely to blame genetics: Seventy percent of Russians said their weight problems are inherited, followed by Germans (61 percent) and Indians (50 percent). In the United States, 20 percent of respondents blamed their genes for a weight problem.
Most likely to blame Americans: More than any country surveyed, the French were most likely to blame American eating habits and American fast-food companies for spreading obesity.