The Brits are gaining on us – in weight that is…

Here’s an interesting article on obesity in the U.S. and how are eating habits are impacting the British –

Bulging Brits losing battle with bangers – USATODAY.com

LONDON — The "fat American" used to be the joke in Europe. The "fat Brit" could soon be getting laughs, too.

A nation that once was slim — despite a fondness for beer, fried fish and chips, and bangers and mash (sausage and mashed potatoes) — is swelling at the waistline, having adopted American fast-food tastes and eating habits, health professionals and researchers say.

Americans are still the heavyweight champs of the Western world, leading all but a few South Pacific island nations, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in obesity rates, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

"We’ve been doing our best to catch up," said Neville Rigby, policy director of the International Obesity Task Force, a London think tank. "(Americans) just got a head start."

Twenty-three percent of British adults are considered obese by Britain’s Department of Health. By comparison, a third of the USA’s adult population is obese, or at least 30 pounds over a "healthy weight," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.