The line chart illustrates the rate of obesity among four different age groups in one country between 1971 and 2005.
Overall, obesity rates across all age groups followed an upward trend throughout the period. The 45-64 age group consistently recorded the highest figures, while those aged 18-29 consistently had the lowest. By the end of the period, the rates for the middle-age groups (30-44 and 45-64) had converged.
In 1971, the 45-64 age group had the highest obesity rate at approximately 17%, closely followed by the 65-74 age group at 16%. Both figures witnessed a significant increase of roughly 19 percentage points, reaching a peak of 36% in 1999 before leveling off over the final six years. Despite a slight further increase in the 45-64 category to reach 40% by 2005, the 65-74 group remained largely unchanged.
Regarding the younger cohorts, the 30-44 and 18-29 age groups began the period with lower obesity rates of 15% and 7%, respectively. These figures almost doubled by 1999, rising to 30% and 22%. After a period of stability during the final five years, the obesity rate for the 30-44 age group reached 35% by 2005, while the 18-29 age group rose to nearly 30%.