More fatties than hungry people globally

BBC News is reporting that there are now estimated to be more overweight people across the world than malnourished ones.

US professor Barry Popkin said all countries - both rich and poor - had failed to address the obesity boom. He told the International Association of Agricultural Economists the number of overweight people had topped 1bn, compared with 800m undernourished.

China in particular illustrates the change:

China typified the changes, with a major shift in diet from cereals to animal products and vegetable oils accompanied by a decline in physical work, more motorised transport and more television viewing, he added.

I can't quite see the same adverts being run to help fat people as there have been to aid the malnourished though. Will national governments charities and ngo's step forward to help with this growing health epidemic or will we regard this as self inflicted and watch this spiral into a very expensive health crisis.