Obese People Outnumber Underweight People for First Time in Human History, Study Says

(abcnews) - Obesity has been a growing problem in the U.S. for decades and increasingly its effect is being felt globally. A new study published by the Lancet Medical Journal finds that for the first time in human history, there are more obese people than underweight people in the world.

The data -- which was pooled from studies, surveys and reports -- looked at 19.2 million men and women from 186 countries, and shows stunning changes in less than 40 years, with an increasing average body mass index in multiple countries from 1975 to 2014.

The study estimates that 10.8 percent of men and 14.9 percent of women worldwide are obese, defined by a BMI of over 30, while just 8.8 percent of men and 9.7 percent of women are underweight, defined by a BMI of under 18.5.(FullStory)