Obesity has increasingly become influenced by location. In the U.S., the rural South has the highest concentration of obesity. Internationally, more countries are beginning to gain a stigma as locations that are predisposed to having obese citizens. The World Health Organization has compiled charts and maps showing trends of obesity by locations. These resources show a clear pattern as to which countries are more obese. According to 10-year projections, every continent except for Africa will see increased obesity rates.

Obesity in Women Around the Globe

Women, according to a study done by the World Health Organization in 2005, generally have a slightly higher percentage of obesity than men.

The study measured the percentage of adults--from 30 to 100 years old--who had a body mass index greater than 30.

The most obese countries in the world for women are in a similar order to the obese male countries, but the women's percentages are slightly higher.

Obesity in Men Around the Globe

According to the same study, the same five nations also have the highest BMI/obesity rates for males. The order of the countries with the most prevalence of obesity did change at the second and third positions.

• Nauru at 80.2 percent
• Federated States of Micronesia at 70.7 percent
• Tonga at 65.9 percent
• Cook Islands at 65 percent
• Niue at 43.8 percent

The Obesity Problem in Nauru

The South Pacific nation of Nauru has the highest rate of obesity for both males and females.

According to a study by the WHO, Nauru is a country predisposed to obesity. Dating back to its inception as a country, obesity has been viewed as a sign of wealth and prosperity to Pacific Islanders. This idea has not changed over time, which is a main cause for the extremely high obesity rate in Nauru.

Concentration of Obesity in the U.S.

According to a 2005 report from the CDC, all but four states--Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii and Vermont--have obesity rates grater than 20 percent, and the greatest concentration of obesity lies in the South.

As the CDC map shows, Louisiana, Mississippi and West Virginia have the greatest prevalence of obesity with at least 30 percent of the population having a BMI greater than 30.

Dr. Michael Perri, an associate dean and professor of clinical and health psychology at the University of Florida whose research focuses on obesity, explained that higher instances of obesity in rural areas is a result of a change in technology and economy and not in diet.

While the manual labor of rural farmers has decreased with industrialization and technological innovation, hearty portions of fatty foods in their diets and the diets of their ancestors has not, Perri said.

Perri's research targets the most effective method of bringing obesity treatment into rural areas. By providing care with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service, which offers assistance to farmers and has an office in nearly every county in the country.

"So far we've been very happy with the results," Perri said. "Most participants have had weight losses in the neighborhood of about 20 pounds."

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