Percentage of total population who have a BMI (body mass index) greater than 30 kg./sq. meters. Data
for Australia, Austria, and Portugal is from 2002. All other data is from 2003. Obesity rates are defined as
the percentage of the population with a BMI over 30. The BMI is a single number that evaluates an
individual’s weight status in relation to height. For Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States,
figures are based on health examinations rather than self-reported information. Obesity estimates derived
from health examinations are generally higher and more reliable than those coming from self-reports,
because they preclude any misreporting of people’s height and weight. However, health examinations are
only conducted regularly in a few countries (OECD).
OECD Health Data 2005
Mary’s Story
I met Mary several years ago, when she came to see me because of her
elevated cholesterol levels. “Since I got married 2 years ago, I’ve gone from
a size 4 to a size 12. I don’t take any drugs except for oral contraceptives.”
Mary was 37 years old, 5 feet, 4 inches tall, and weighed 160 pounds when
I first met her. After taking an extensive history and doing a complete blood
workup, I knew that Mary’s elevated cholesterol was directly related to her
diet. Her fasting insulin level was at 40 units, which is very high. Mary had