Americans are more overweight than people in any other developed nation, research published in the medical journal The Lancet revealed.

Researchers examined the Body Mass Index (BMI) for adults 20 years and older in 199 countries and territories between 1980 and 2008. Of these, the United States had the “highest BMI of high-income countries,” the report stated.

A BMI count of 25 means a person is overweight. The American average in the study was 28.

“The findings about Americans and obesity add to evidence that the U.S. has a weight problem,” Bloomberg reported.

According to the study, about 68 percent of American adults are overweight while close to 34 percent are obese.

Additionally, worldwide obesity figures doubled within the 28-year period, showing that the problem is reaching epidemic proportions.

“Among the other developed nations, UK, Australia and New Zealand also witnessed significant increase in body mass,” International Business Times reported. “The study also warns that obesity is generally a high risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and musculo-skeletal disorders, which cause 3 million deaths worldwide each year.”