The most obese country in the world might surprise you – it's not America, but a small island nation in the Pacific Ocean called Nauru. Despite living in a region where people traditionally consume coconuts, fruits, and fish and lead physically active lives, Nauru has an alarmingly high obesity rate. Watch this video by Dhruv Rathee to find out, as he explains the underlying cause behind this: crony capitalism.
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00:00These are the top 10 most obese countries.
00:03How did it happen that all these countries became the prey of obesity?
00:06These are the companies that don't care about how healthy you are
00:09as long as their money is coming.
00:11The most obese country in the world.
00:14This is the story of the world's fattest country.
00:17Hello, friends.
00:18Can you guess which is the world's most obese country?
00:24Which is the country where the world's fattest people live?
00:27The first answer that comes to your mind is America.
00:30But this answer is wrong.
00:32The correct answer is a small country in the Pacific Ocean called Nauru.
00:3761% of the people here are obese.
00:41And almost 90% of the people are overweight.
00:45Can you imagine a country where 9 out of 10 people are overweight?
00:49How is this possible?
00:51Behind this is a scary story of crony capitalism.
00:57What is the difference between overweight and obese?
01:03First of all, it is important to know
01:05what is the difference between overweight and obese.
01:09For this, we use a very common indicator called BMI.
01:13Body Mass Index.
01:15Calculating BMI is very easy.
01:17You can do it for yourself.
01:19First of all, look at your height.
01:21If you only know your height in feet and inches,
01:23then convert it to meters.
01:25For example, 5 feet 8 inches,
01:27which is 1.72 meters.
01:29Secondly, check your weight in kilograms.
01:32Let's assume your weight is 74 kgs.
01:34Thirdly, divide your weight by the square of your height.
01:38This is 24.8 and this is your BMI.
01:42A very simplified criteria has been made on the basis of BMI.
01:45If your BMI is below 18.5, then you are underweight.
01:48If it is between 18.5 and 24.9,
01:51then you are a normal healthy weight.
01:53If your BMI is between 25 and 29.9,
01:55then you are in the category of overweight.
01:57And above 30, you are in the category of obese.
02:01So basically, let's see,
02:02obese is more overweight than overweight.
02:05If you fall in the category of underweight, overweight or obese,
02:08then this can be a warning sign for you.
02:10But if you are in the healthy category,
02:12then it doesn't mean that you should start working out.
02:14Because BMI is not the only indicator of health.
02:18It is also possible that you are in a healthy range,
02:20you look thin, but still you are not fit.
02:22Because to see fitness, many other indicators are used.
02:26Like muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility, stamina.
02:29And at the same time, it often happens that
02:31if you are a very muscular person,
02:33then because of your muscle weight,
02:35you will fall in the category of overweight,
02:37according to the indicator of BMI.
02:38But this does not mean that you are unhealthy.
02:40It is possible to stay healthy even in the category of overweight.
02:44As long as you are a very muscular person.
02:46But generally, we can say that
02:48if you fall in the category of obese,
02:50then this can definitely be a problem.
02:52Many researches and studies tell us that
02:54being obese means
02:56you are at higher risk for many diseases.
02:59Like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure,
03:02heart disease, brain stroke, fatty liver disease, kidney disease,
03:06pregnancy problems, depression, certain types of cancer.
03:09This is why in 2013,
03:11the American Medical Association said that
03:13obesity is a disease in itself.
03:18Now if we talk about the country of Nauru,
03:20then its case is not an isolated case.
03:22If you look at the list of the top 10 most obese countries,
03:25then you may have heard the names of all the countries in this list.
03:28Nauru at number one,
03:30Palau at second,
03:31then Cook Islands,
03:32Marshall Islands,
03:33Tuvalu,
03:34Niue,
03:35Kiribati,
03:36Tonga,
03:37Samoa,
03:38and Micronesia.
03:39Let's know what is common in all these countries.
03:41All these countries are situated in the Pacific Ocean
03:43and are small island countries.
03:47If you look at the photos and videos of these islands,
03:49then you will feel that these are amazing places.
03:51Perfect beaches,
03:52coral reefs,
03:53tropical forests.
03:54You will feel that if any person lives here,
03:56then he will be very healthy and fit.
03:58Because everyday he will eat coconut from the trees,
04:01hunt and eat fish.
04:02But how did it happen that all these countries became the prey of obesity?
04:06Let's understand with the example of Nauru.
04:08This is a very small country.
04:09It is the third smallest country in the world.
04:11It is just one island.
04:13About 21 square kilometers.
04:15Only 12,500 people live here.
04:18The smallest island nation in the world.
04:20At one time,
04:21it used to be a very beautiful untouched island.
04:24In the year 1798,
04:26the rest of the world discovered it
04:28when a British ship landed here.
04:30The captain John Fenn of this ship
04:32found this island so beautiful that
04:34he named it Pleasant Islands.
04:37The name of that British ship was Hunter.
04:39And in the next 100 years,
04:40being hunted was going to be a destiny of this island.
04:44Around the 1830s,
04:45many European ships used to come here for trading.
04:48From this island,
04:49clean drinking water,
04:50coconuts,
04:51fruits and local palm wine were taken.
04:53And in exchange,
04:54these islanders were given alcohol and guns.
04:58At that time,
04:59about 12 different tribes used to live on this island.
05:01The native people who lived here.
05:03Because of this alcohol and weapons,
05:05there was a 10-year civil war on this island in the year 1878.
05:09The population of the people living here
05:10is almost half because of this.
05:12Later, the German Empire seized this island
05:15and confiscated all the weapons.
05:17Later, in the year 1900,
05:19a man from New Zealand,
05:21Albert Ellis,
05:22discovered phosphate on this island.
05:25Phosphate is a mineral
05:26that can be used as an artificial fertilizer while farming.
05:30A very important resource in that era.
05:32In the year 1906,
05:34after making an agreement with Germany,
05:36the Pacific Phosphate Company
05:38started the mining of phosphate here.
05:41Then came the First World War.
05:42Germany lost this war
05:44and under the mandate of the League of Nations,
05:46the country of Nauru
05:47came under the joint trusteeship
05:49of the United Kingdom of Australia and New Zealand.
05:51Because of this,
05:52a Nauru Island Agreement was signed.
05:54The phosphate reserves on this island
05:58were taken by the British.
06:00By the British Phosphate Commissioners.
06:02In simple words,
06:03the British loot Nauru.
06:05Their phosphate reserves are sold
06:07to the farmers of Australia and New Zealand
06:09at a very low price.
06:10What is given to the people of Nauru in Australia?
06:12They get a price of half a penny per ton of phosphate.
06:15After a few years,
06:16a slightly higher price is given,
06:172 pence per ton of phosphate.
06:19But the British Phosphate Commissioners
06:21sell it at a 200 times higher price in Australia.
06:244.52 pounds per ton.
06:26That is,
06:27almost all the money
06:28was looted by the British Company.
06:30A very similar story
06:31that the East India Company
06:32did with other countries.
06:33But in 1942,
06:35the country of Nauru was captured
06:37by the Japanese Empire.
06:38And now,
06:39the people of this country
06:40have to endure a lot of torture.
06:41Forced labour camps,
06:42mass drownings are carried out.
06:44Forcibly killing people.
06:46If you remember,
06:47the video I made on Singapore,
06:48the same story happened there.
06:49The Japanese Empire
06:50tortured the people of Singapore.
06:52But we know the story of World War II.
06:54The Axis Powers,
06:55Germany, Italy, Japan,
06:56they lost World War II.
06:58This country again
06:59comes under the administration
07:00of the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
07:02The phosphate industry revives.
07:04Exports increase.
07:06But even in 1968,
07:08the people of Nauru
07:09were given very little money
07:10as compared to
07:11the money these companies earned
07:13by exporting resources
07:14from here to foreign countries.
07:16In 1964,
07:17the Australian government offers
07:18that the people living in Nauru
07:20should be shifted to
07:21a neighboring island
07:22and Australian citizenship
07:23should be given to everyone.
07:25But these people
07:26did not want to lose
07:27their unique identity.
07:28They wanted sovereignty.
07:30Because of this,
07:31in January 1968,
07:33they finally get freedom.
07:35Nauru becomes
07:36an independent country.
07:38After independence,
07:39the politicians of Nauru
07:40continue the business
07:41of phosphate mining.
07:42Ignoring this fact,
07:44its negative impact
07:45on their country.
07:47More than half the land
07:48on this small island
07:49is now given
07:50only for phosphate mining.
07:52There are fewer places
07:53for people to live.
07:54But it was very difficult
07:55for their politicians
07:56to escape this greed for money.
07:59Mining continues.
08:00Their GDP per capita
08:01starts increasing.
08:02In 1975,
08:04Nauru became
08:05the second richest country
08:07in the world
08:08according to GDP per capita.
08:09Only Saudi Arabia
08:10was richer at that time.
08:12Obviously,
08:13it is important to remember
08:14that it does not mean
08:15that every person
08:16living here
08:17is suddenly rich
08:18and living a luxurious life.
08:19GDP per capita
08:20is a hypothetical number
08:21that tells
08:22that if GDP is
08:23equally distributed
08:24per person,
08:25then how much
08:26each person will have.
08:27But in such a world
08:28where the top 26 people
08:29have as much wealth
08:30as half the world,
08:31how can it be expected
08:33that there will be
08:34an equal distribution here?
08:35But the government
08:36was definitely
08:37running out of money.
08:38The government
08:39successfully convinced
08:40the governments
08:41of Australia, New Zealand
08:42and Britain
08:43to give compensation
08:44for the money
08:45they had stolen
08:46from their country.
08:47So those countries
08:48also give more money
08:49to Nauru.
08:50The money
08:51earned from phosphate mining
08:52goes to the
08:53Nauru Phosphate
08:54Royalties Trust.
08:55With the help of this money,
08:56Nauru gets
08:57its own shipping lane.
08:58They make
08:59an airline
09:00called Air Nauru.
09:01International investments
09:02are made here.
09:03They go to Wall Street
09:04and buy securities.
09:05In Melbourne,
09:06they make
09:07a very high
09:0852-story skyscraper
09:09called Nauru House.
09:10A 7 million dollar
09:11office building
09:12is built on which
09:13there is a revolving
09:14restaurant.
09:15They go to
09:16Marshall Islands
09:17and develop
09:18a 3 million dollar
09:19hotel.
09:20They spend
09:214 lakh dollars
09:22on making
09:23a floating cocktail
09:24lounge.
09:25Hotels are built
09:26in many countries
09:27in the surrounding
09:28islands.
09:29Properties are bought
09:30and some people
09:31buy luxury sports
09:32cars.
09:33As I told you,
09:34this country is so small
09:35that it will take
09:3640-45 minutes
09:37to walk
09:38from one corner
09:39to another.
09:40What is the use
09:41of buying luxury
09:42cars on such
09:43a small island?
09:44In the midst of all this,
09:45the common people
09:46who live here
09:47get the usual offer
09:48that we will
09:49remove the tax
09:50and give many
09:51things for free.
09:52But don't
09:53question what
09:54the people
09:55above are doing.
09:56You can take
09:57your children
09:58to the universities
09:59of Australia.
10:00They are giving
10:01government newspapers
10:02for free.
10:03And most people
10:04were employed
10:05in the phosphate
10:06industry or
10:07government jobs.
10:08Everything was
10:09going very well.
10:10For some people,
10:11they were living
10:12in heaven.
10:13This year was
10:141982.
10:15In the same year,
10:16an article
10:17is published
10:18in the New York
10:19Times.
10:20The writer of this
10:21article predicts
10:22that the phosphate
10:23present in this
10:24country is
10:25in a limited
10:26quantity.
10:27Within 10 years,
10:28all this phosphate
10:29will be
10:30lost.
10:31At that time,
10:32the finance minister
10:33of Nauru,
10:34James Bob,
10:35replied to this
10:36article that
10:37tomorrow will
10:38take care of
10:39itself.
10:40When tomorrow
10:41comes,
10:42we will think
10:43about tomorrow.
10:44But one day
10:45had to come.
10:46By the time
10:471990s came,
10:48the phosphate
10:49reserves
10:50started to
10:51end.
10:52Many
10:53international
10:54investments
10:55that they
10:56had made
10:57crashed.
10:59In the year
11:002001,
11:01Australia
11:02built a
11:03detention centre
11:04on Nauru
11:05to process
11:06refugees.
11:07Many
11:08Afghans,
11:09Sri Lankans,
11:10Iranians,
11:11Pakistanis,
11:12Iraqis,
11:13who wanted
11:14to come
11:15to Australia
11:16by boat,
11:17were placed
11:18in muddy
11:19tents to
11:20temporarily
11:21keep them
11:22somewhere
11:23in the
11:24middle of
11:25this island.
11:26Australia
11:27had a
11:28huge
11:29unemployment
11:30rate.
11:31On top of
11:32that,
11:33the negative
11:34effects of
11:35climate change
11:36had started
11:37to be seen
11:38on Nauru.
11:39The danger
11:40of coastal
11:41erosion had
11:42increased.
11:43Acidification
11:44was seen
11:45in the
11:46ocean.
11:47But even
11:48bigger blame
11:49than climate
11:50change
11:51was put
11:52on their
11:53phosphate
11:54mining.
11:55Look at
11:56how
11:57the
11:58people
11:59are living
12:00on the
12:01edges of
12:02the
12:03island.
12:04In February
12:052017,
12:06Australian
12:07Lawyers
12:08Alliance
12:09wrote a
12:10letter to
12:11the
12:12Australian
12:13government
12:14saying that
12:15the
12:16groundwater
12:17in this
12:18country
12:19has been
12:20contaminated
12:21by a
12:22highly
12:23toxic
12:24heavy
12:25metal.
12:26This
12:27toxic
12:28metal
12:29was
12:30found
12:31in
12:32the
12:33coral
12:34reefs
12:35around
12:36the
12:37island.
12:38This
12:39toxic
12:40metal
12:41was
12:42also
12:43found
12:44in
12:45fish.
12:46200-300
12:47years ago,
12:48fruits and
12:49vegetables
12:50were grown
12:51here.
12:52But
12:53according to
12:54the
12:55Australian
12:56government,
12:57this
12:58toxic
12:59metal
13:00was
13:01found
13:02in
13:03the
13:04coral
13:05reefs
13:06around
13:07the
13:08island.
13:09This
13:10toxic
13:11metal
13:12was
13:13found
13:14in
13:15the
13:16coral
13:17reefs
13:18around
13:19the
13:20island.
13:21This
13:22toxic
13:23metal
13:24was
13:25found
13:26in
13:27the
13:28coral
13:29reefs
13:30around
13:31the
13:32island.
13:33This
13:34toxic
13:35metal
13:36was
13:37found
13:38in
13:39the
13:40coral
13:41reefs
13:42around
13:43the
13:44island.
13:45This
13:46toxic
13:47metal
13:48was
13:49found
13:50in
13:51the
13:52coral
13:53reefs
13:54around
13:55the
13:56island.
13:57This
13:58toxic
13:59metal
14:00was
14:01found
14:02in
14:03the
14:04coral
14:05reefs
14:06around
14:07the
14:08island.
14:09This
14:10toxic
14:11metal
14:12was
14:13found
14:14in
14:15the
14:16coral
14:17reefs
14:18around
14:19the
14:20island.
14:21This
14:22toxic
14:23metal
14:24was
14:25found
14:26in
14:27the
14:28coral
14:29reefs
14:30around
14:31the
14:32island.
14:33This
14:34toxic
14:35metal
14:36was
14:37found
14:38in
14:39the
14:40coral
14:41reefs
14:42around
14:43the
14:44island.
14:45This
14:46toxic
14:47metal
14:48was
14:49found
14:50in
14:51the
14:52coral
14:53reefs
14:54around
14:55the
14:56island.
14:57This
14:58toxic
14:59metal
15:00was
15:01found
15:02in
15:03the
15:04coral
15:05reefs
15:06around
15:07the
15:08island.
15:09This
15:10toxic
15:11metal
15:12was
15:13found
15:14in
15:15the
15:16coral
15:17reefs
15:18around
15:19the
15:20island.
15:21This
15:22toxic
15:23metal
15:24was
15:25found
15:26in
15:27the
15:28coral
15:29reefs
15:30around
15:31the
15:32island.
15:33This
15:34toxic
15:35metal
15:36was
15:37found
15:38in
15:39the
15:40coral
15:41reefs
15:42around
15:43the
15:44island.
15:45This
15:46toxic
15:47metal
15:48was
15:49found
15:50in
15:51the
15:52coral
15:53reefs
15:54around
15:55the
15:56island.
15:57This
15:58toxic
15:59metal
16:00was
16:01found
16:02in
16:03the
16:04coral
16:05reefs
16:06around
16:07the
16:08island.
16:09This
16:10toxic
16:11metal
16:12was
16:13found
16:14in
16:15the
16:16coral
16:17reefs
16:18around
16:19the
16:20island.
16:21This
16:22toxic
16:23metal
16:24was
16:25found
16:26in
16:27the
16:28coral
16:29reefs
16:30around
16:31the
16:32island.
16:33This
16:34toxic
16:35metal
16:36was
16:37found
16:38in
16:39the
16:40coral
16:41reefs
16:42around
16:43the
16:44island.
16:45This
16:46toxic
16:47metal
16:48was
16:49found
16:50in
16:51the
16:52coral
16:53reefs
16:54around
16:55the
16:56island.
16:57This
16:58toxic
16:59metal
17:00was
17:01found
17:02in
17:03the
17:04coral
17:05reefs
17:06around
17:07the
17:08island.
17:09This
17:10toxic
17:11metal
17:12was
17:13found
17:14in
17:15the
17:16coral
17:17reefs
17:18around
17:19the
17:20island.
17:21This
17:22toxic
17:23metal
17:24was
17:25found
17:26in
17:27the
17:28coral
17:29reefs
17:30around
17:31the
17:32island.
17:33This
17:34toxic
17:35metal
17:36was
17:37found
17:38in
17:39the
17:40coral
17:41reefs
17:42around
17:43the
17:44island.
17:45This
17:46toxic
17:47metal
17:48was
17:49found
17:50in
17:51the
17:52coral
17:53reefs
17:54around
17:55the
17:56island.
17:57This
17:58toxic
17:59metal
18:00was
18:01found
18:02in
18:03the
18:04coral
18:05reefs
18:06around
18:07the
18:08island.
18:09This
18:10toxic
18:11metal
18:12was
18:13found
18:14in
18:15the
18:16coral
18:17reefs
18:18around
18:19the
18:20island.
18:21This
18:22toxic
18:23metal
18:24was
18:25found
18:26in
18:27the
18:28coral
18:29reefs
18:30around
18:31the
18:32island.
18:33This
18:34toxic
18:35metal
18:36was
18:37found
18:38in
18:39the
18:40coral
18:41reefs
18:42around
18:43the
18:44island.
18:45This
18:46toxic
18:47metal
18:48was
18:49found
18:50in
18:51the
18:52coral
18:53reefs
18:54around
18:55the
18:56island.
18:57This
18:58toxic
18:59metal
19:00was
19:01found
19:02in
19:03the
19:04coral
19:05reefs
19:06around
19:07the
19:08island.
19:09This
19:10toxic
19:11metal
19:12was
19:13found
19:14in
19:15the
19:16coral
19:17reefs
19:18around
19:19the
19:20island.
19:21This
19:22toxic
19:23metal
19:24was
19:25found
19:26in
19:27the
19:28coral
19:29reefs
19:30around
19:31the
19:32island.
19:33This
19:34toxic
19:35metal
19:36was
19:37found
19:38in
19:39the
19:40coral
19:41reefs
19:42around
19:43the
19:44island.
19:45This
19:46toxic
19:47metal
19:48was
19:49found
19:50in
19:51the
19:52coral
19:53reefs
19:54around
19:55the
19:56island.
19:57This
19:58toxic
19:59metal
20:00was
20:01found
20:02in
20:03the
20:04coral
20:05reefs
20:06around
20:07the
20:08island.
20:09This
20:10toxic
20:11metal
20:12was
20:13found
20:14in
20:15the
20:16coral
20:17reefs
20:18around
20:19the
20:20island.
20:21This
20:22toxic
20:23metal
20:24was
20:25found
20:26in
20:27the
20:28coral
20:29reefs
20:30around
20:31the
20:32island.
20:33This
20:34toxic
20:35metal
20:36was
20:37found
20:38in
20:39the
20:40coral
20:41reefs
20:42around
20:43the
20:44island.
20:45This
20:46toxic
20:47metal
20:48was
20:49found
20:50in
20:51the
20:52coral
20:53reefs
20:54around
20:55the
20:56island.
20:57This
20:58toxic
20:59metal
21:00was
21:01found
21:02in
21:03the
21:04coral
21:05reefs
21:06around
21:07the
21:08island.
21:09This
21:10toxic
21:11metal
21:12was
21:13found
21:14in
21:15the
21:16coral
21:17reefs
21:18around
21:19the
21:20island.
21:21This
21:22toxic
21:23metal
21:24was
21:25found
21:26in
21:27the
21:28coral
21:29reefs
21:30around
21:31the
21:32island.
21:33This
21:34toxic
21:35metal
21:36was
21:37found
21:38in
21:39the
21:40coral
21:41reefs
21:42around
21:43the
21:44island.
21:45This
21:46toxic
21:47metal
21:48was
21:49found
21:50in
21:51the
21:52coral
21:53reefs
21:54around
21:55the
21:56island.
21:57This
21:58toxic
21:59metal
22:00was
22:01found
22:02in
22:03the
22:04coral
22:05reefs
22:06around
22:07the
22:08island.
22:09This
22:10toxic
22:11metal
22:12was
22:13found
22:14in
22:15the
22:16coral
22:17reefs
22:18around
22:19the
22:20island.
22:21This
22:22toxic
22:23metal
22:24was
22:25found
22:26in
22:27the
22:28coral
22:29reefs
22:30around
22:31the
22:32island.
22:33This