Barbadian women are the fattest in the world, says a major international publication.
This unflattering designation comes from the Economist Pocket World of Figures 2014, an extensive annual compilation of economic and social data.
Barbados placed top of the global list of the ten countries with the largest share of overweight women in their respective populations.
It indicated that in 2010 – the latest year for which there were figures – 57.2 per cent of Barbadian women were considered obese. The island was followed by Kuwait 55.2 per cent; Trinidad and Tobago 52.2; the United States and Jamaica 48.3; Egypt 48; United Arab Emirates 42; and St Lucia 41.7 per cent.
“The figures on obesity for Barbados and its global ranking caught me by surprise,” said Sir George Alleyne, a former director of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) who commented on the report.
