Armenia posts obesity rate of 20%: report

PanARMENIAN.Net - Adult obesity prevalence in Armenia stands at 19.5%, putting the country in the 88th spot among 190 nations worldwide (countries are ranked from lowest to highest), according to data published in the 2016 Global Nutrition Report (GNR).

The 2016 Global Nutrition Report (GNR), prepared by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), provides an independent and annual review of the state of the world’s nutrition. The 2016 edition of the report brings together the latest available data and experiences from around the world.

Adult overweight and obesity prevalence constitute 55.5% in Armenia.

600 million adults (ages 18+) were obese as of 2014 worldwide, with the 13% of the global population constituting the current prevalence of obesity. People are considered obese when their body mass index (BMI), a measurement obtained by dividing a person's weight by the square of the person's height, is over 30 kg/m2,with the range 25–30 kg/m2 defined as overweight.

The report further suggests that 11.5% of adult Armenians have diabetes (high blood glucose).

Out of 5 billion adults worldwide, one in every 12 has type 2 diabetes, the World Health Organization says, with the 9% of people suffering from the disorder globally.

Based on the exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) rate (under 6 months), the country comes in the 72nd at 34.6%, the current EBF prevalence standing at 39% globally.

25.9% of Armenian women of reproductive age have anemia, the report says, while 533 million (as of 2011) women between the ages of 15 and 49 years (nonpregnant and pregnant) suffer from this condition worldwide.

Overweight prevalence among Armenian children under 5 is 16.8%. According to the report, the number of such children is increasing, with an estimated 41 million kids or 6.1% globally overweight as of 2014.

Also, the researchers at the IFPRI have studied stunted growth and wasting among children under 5. Stunting is a reduced growth rate in human development. Wasting, also known as wasting syndrome, refers to the process by which a debilitating disease causes muscle and fat tissue to "waste" away.

Wasting and stunting prevalence in Armenia stand at 4.2% and 20.8%, respectively, with global figures leaving a lot to be desired. 50 million kids or 7.5% children globally have wasting syndrome, while some 159 million or 23.8% have stunted growth.