A medical journal is warning the world that it is getting fatter. It's not just an American problem anymore; obesity is spreading throughout the world.

The report says that obesity has become a world pandemic. Obesity not only affects individual's personal health, but it adds to the cost of health care in every country. Governments that are trying to save costs through a healthier society are fighting a losing battle. The journal calls on governments everywhere to take preventive action.

According to one article in the journal, nearly 1.5 billion adults in the world, and a 170 million children, are currently overweight, and another half billion are obese. If this trend continues, these numbers will increase drastically and health care systems around the world will fail—there simply won't be enough money to take care of the sick.

So, what's wrong with being overweight? In recent years the medical profession has discovered that the single best way for determining a person's overall health and risk of disease is by measuring a person's waist line. Overweight and obese people have a higher risk of not only heart disease, but also cancer, stroke, and diabetes.

According to the medical journal, it is our modern day food supply that is driving this increase in world obesity. Modern food has become cheaper, thus more available, but it is also highly processed with added chemicals and sweeteners to give food a longer life and better taste. Tasty foods add to our temptations to eat more, and cheaper foods mean that it's easier to satisfy those temptations.

What's the solution? The medical journal calls on governments to take a more active role in the control of unhealthy foods. Proposals include taxes on unhealthy foods and drinks, and more emphasis in educating the young about healthy eating and exercise as well as the dangers of obesity. They also proposed banning junk food advertising. These measures are modeled after the anti-tobacco programs that have been adopted across the world because of their effectiveness.