According to a recent 52-country survey by Nielsen, some of these attitudes are universal: almost two-thirds (60%) of the world’s population struggle with their weight — 50% with overweight and 10% with underweight issues.

But as Jonathan Banks, Business Insights Director, Nielsen, notes in the January issue of Nielsen’s “Consumer Insight” online newsletter, tactics for paring pounds — and body image — vary by country.

North Americans, for instance, self-identify as “very overweight” at double the rate of people in Emerging Markets – and at a 30% higher rate than Asia-Pacific and European residents.

In contrast, Asia Pacific ranked as the “most underweight” region, with more than half of respondents from these countries scoring themselves as “underweight” (12%) or “about the right weight” (41%).

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