Quick, which is the richest country on earth? The fattest? It’s not the United States writes Haley Sweetland Edwards. It’s Qatar:

• Qatar has the highest per capita GDP in the world. Studies suggest that half of all adults and a third of all children are obese. The small Connecticut sized country also has high rates of diabetes and birth defects.
• The country became rich overnight, going from a small dusty city to a rich cosmopolitan metropolis. Suddenly Qataris could offer maids and workers, and could eat the finest foods, creating health issues.
• A strong tribal culture where inter-marriage between close family members is common has led to a concentration of the gene pool and an increase in genetic defects.
• Women in Qatar generally stay in-doors meaning that they don’t get enough exercise.

To read more about the steps that the government is taking to solve this problem, what the Qatar Olympic Committee has to say, and how health statistics in Qatar compare with the United States, click here.

Source: The Atlantic