Daijiworld Media Network - London

London, May 12: According to a study of global trends in body-mass index (BMI), obesity is increasing more rapidly in the world’s rural areas than in cities.

The study, published in the journal Nature, analysed the height and weight data of over 112 million adults across urban and rural areas of 200 countries and territories between 1985 and 2017.

Height and weight can be used to calculate BMI, an internationally recognised scale which tells us whether an individual has a healthy weight for their height, said researchers led by Imperial College London in the UK.

The study found that from 1985 to 2017, BMI rose by an average of two kilogrammes per square metre (kg/m2) in women and 2.2 kg/m2 in men globally, equivalent to each person becoming five to six kg heavier.

Over half of the global rise over these 33 years was due to increases in BMI in rural areas.

In some low- and middle-income countries, rural areas were responsible for over 80 per cent of the increase.

The team found important differences between high-, middle-, and low-income countries.

In high-income countries, the study showed that BMI has been generally higher in rural areas since 1985, especially for women.

The researchers suggest this is due to the disadvantages experienced by those living outside cities: lower income and education, limited availability and higher price of healthy foods, and fewer leisure and sports facilities.

These factors not only bring numerous health benefits, but also lead to lower energy expenditure and to more spending on food, which can be processed and low-quality when sufficient regulations are not in place.

All these factors contribute to faster increase in BMI in rural areas, researchers said.

The main exception to the global trend was sub-Saharan Africa where women gained weight more rapidly in cities.