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Taoyuan City ranks as fattest city in Taiwan

Taoyuan City ranked as most overweight city

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Taiwan celebrities Show Lo (back left) and Butterfly (center) dressed up in Sumo suits.

Taiwan celebrities Show Lo (back left) and Butterfly (center) dressed up in Sumo suits. (CNA photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)—Taoyuan City in northern Taiwan topped the charts among the nation’s six major metropolises with the highest obesity rate for those aged 13 to 65 in 2016, with 38.8 percent of 2,275 valid samples reporting to be overweight, according to data compiled in a nationwide sports report by the Sports Administration under the Ministry of Education (MOE).

New Taipei City trailed in second as fattest city with 38.1 percent obesity rate among 4,337 valid samples, Tainan City ranked in third with 37.9 percent out of 2,062 samples, followed by Kaohsiung City's 36.9 percent out of 3,045 samples.

The fittest metropolises were Taipei City with a 32 percent obesity rate out of 2,902 samples, and Taichung City’s 36.5 percent obesity rate among 2,953 valid samples.

Obesity defined in the report is a person with a BMI over 27, and a person is considered overweight if their BMI is more than 24.

In 1997, Taoyuan City's obesity rate amounted to 33 percent of its population and dropped to 29.6 percent in 1998, but by 2015 it climbed to 33.4 percent.

In 2016, obesity rates further increased to 38.8 percent, indicating one in every four people residing in Taoyuan City is obese.

New Taipei City also reported a significant increase in the obese populations. In 1997, the ratio was 29.5 percent but increased to 34.5 percent in 2015.

In 2016, obesity rates further rose to 38.1 percent nearing the gap with Taoyuan City.

Taipei City has maintained its obesity rates at 33.8 percent over the past 10 years, and in 1997 obesity rates were a mere 27.7 percent.

The New Taipei City government noted more than 70 percent of populations were aware of obesity issues and more than 80 percent prefer outdoor activities, but have not developed an exercise routine.

Only 30 percent exercise regularly, and in New Taipei City those aged between 35 to 54 work out irregularly.

Moreover, nearly 15 percent of New Taipei City population do not exercise at all.

Nationally, Hualien County emerged as the fattest county in Taiwan with obesity rates reaching 44.5 percent out of 363 valid samples, followed by Taitung County's 42.7 percent (243 valid samples), and Yunlin County's 40.3 percent (755 valid samples).

The nationwide computer assisted telephone interview was conducted by Shih Hsin University (世新大學) between Aug. 8 to Oct. 31, 2016. It compiled more than 25,527 valid samples from 22 cities and counties in Taiwan, and has a level of confidence of 95 percent and margin of error of 3 percent.

The population in Taiwan that is obese and overweight reached 44.5 percent, but the obesity growth rate has slowed down compared to 10 years ago, according to data published in the Health Promotion and Administration's latest Nutrition and Health Survey.