Approximately 90% of the land area of Nauru is covered with phosphate deposits, with the majority strip-mined and non-arable. This has led to Nauruan reliance on processed food, high in both sugar and fat, imported from large Oceanian countries such as Australia and New Zealand.[4][2]
Ninety percent??? Ninety!?!?
Basically at some point in the 70s they sold their rights to Australia, who came in and destroyed the island. They were, for a bit, the wealthiest people in the world per capita but the money ran out fairly quickly.
Samoa is not far behind. It’s because of overly processed diets on islands. Mostly as a result of western nations coming in and having a presence on islands and starting the processed food imports. The most affordable food on these islands comes out of a can because it is shelf stable and easier to transport. Fresh food is very expensive.
Daaang. They beat the US? That is impressive as hell.
A lot fewer people. This would be like a small town in rural US of 12k people being 90%+ obese.
I don’t have that data at my fingertips, but I suspect that if we don’t have a place like that exactly, it’d be pretty close.
Now just turn that into a country.
