New interactive map reveals the world's "fattest countries" with the United States trailing behind "most obese" nations

The map reveals that 67.9% of Americans meet the definition of obesity, but they are not the most obese country in the world

A new map has revealed the world’s ‘fattest countries’, with a tiny island topping the list. The interactive map, which uses data from 195 countries, was published by Our World in Data and shows a huge difference in obesity rates.

The information comes from the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, which recorded global trends from 1975 to 2016 using data from 128.9 million people.

People were categorized as underweight, overweight, or obese based on their body mass index (BMI). A BMI of 25 or more is considered overweight, while a BMI over 30 is classed as obese. The map reveals that 67.9% of Americans meet the definition of obesity.

If you can’t see the map below, click here.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a “healthy” BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. The study found that 39 percent of adults worldwide were overweight or obese, including 63.7 percent of Britons, reports the Express.

Being overweight or obese can increase the risk of serious health problems such as death, stroke, cancer, and high blood pressure, warns the CDC.

Interestingly, all of the top 10 fattest countries were in the Pacific, with the island of Nauru coming first. Despite having a population of just 12,511, almost nine out of every 10 people on the island are overweight, according to the data.

The island of Palau came in second place and the Cook Islands in third, with 85.1 percent and 84.7 percent of their population being overweight or obese respectively.

The top ten most obese nations, by proportion of population:

1. Nauru (88.5 percent)
2. Palau (85.1 percent)
3. Cook Islands (84.7 percent)
4. Marshall Islands (83.5 percent)
5. Tuvalu (81.9 percent)
6. Niue (80 percent)
7. Kiribati (78.7 percent)
8. Tonga (78.5 percent)
9. Samoa (77.6 percent)
10. Micronesia (75.9 percent).

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