The share of children who are overweight or obese at age 15 ranges from 10% in Denmark to 31% in the United States. Despite policies put in place in OECD countries for a number of years, the number of 15-year-olds who report to be overweight or obese has steadily increased since 2000 in the majority of countries, according to the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey (Inchley et al., 2016). A more detailed analysis covering children aged 3 to 17 at several points in time shows relatively stable rates in France up to 2012, while trends have been somewhat upward again for both boys and girls in England since 2012, and since 2011 for boys in the United States, OECD latest Onesity Update says. 

OECD projections show a steady increase in obesity rates until at least 2030. Obesity levels are expected to be particularly high in the United States, Mexico and England, where 47%, 39% and 35% of the population respectively are projected to be obese in 2030. On the contrary, the increase is expected to be weaker in Italy and Korea, with obesity rates projected to be 13% and 9% in 2030, respectively. The level of obesity in France is projected to nearly match that of Spain, at 21% in 2030. Obesity rates are projected to increase at a faster pace in Korea and Switzerland where rates have been historically low. 

In the majority of countries, women are more obese than men – however, in most OECD countries for which data are available, male obesity has been growing more rapidly. Obesity has been rising more rapidly in lesseducated men and in average-educated women, in most countries. However, in the United States, rates have been increasing most rapidly among high-educated people.

Full report is available here.

The Czech Republic stands just above the OECD average, the report shows, with 21% of the adult population (aged 15 years and over) being obese.

Source: OECD

Read more about Czech health care policy and issues - by OECD.