Although the United States clearly takes the cake (and devours every last piece of it) as the fattest country in the world, there are many European nations who also seem to be indulging a bit too much these days.

Tipping the scales with an average Body Mass Index (BMI) of 28 is -- well, that's us here in the good ol' U.S. of A. Not far behind, however, are the following nations:

~ Italy: 24.3 (The pasta diet - "I never walk pasta good meal!")

~ France: 24.5 (These 'Francy' eaters are chowing on their namesake fries and toast a bit too often)

~ Poland: 24.8 (Sausages Warsaw being eaten by the dozen)

~ Netherlands: 24.9 ("Hollandaise Me")

~ Belgium: 25.1 (Also known as 'Bulgium')

~ United Kingdom: 25.4 (United under what king? The Burger King?)

~ Hungary: 25.6 (Not anymore)

~ Finland: 25.8 ("F" inland, it's time to start jogging to the outer land, too)

~ Greece: 25.9 (Enough said)

BMI plays a crucial role in our cardiovascular health and risk for metabolic syndrome. Clearly, the growing waistline problem is not limited to the borders of the United States, making this a global problem.

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I have a friend who looked up from his desk one day to see the head of HR -- who normally worked in another city -- going cubicle to cubicle. He'd stop every now and then to ask an employee to come to his office. The company was downsizing, and because employees didn't know what was happening or who was being laid off, it appeared to be random. My friend said that, because the director was dressed all in black that day, it was like the Grim Reaper going through the office plucking victims from their chairs. He was joking, but the stress in his voice was evident, as was the relief he wasn't one of the "chosen."

Downsizing is devastating on those who lose their jobs, there's no argument there. But what about those who remain at a company after downsizing has occurred? Not surprisingly, survivors of employee cuts are at greater risk of suffering mental health issues as well, according to a recent study done in Finland. Studying 27,000 municipal workers over a six year time period, researchers discovered that men who lost their jobs were most likely to seek out a prescription for psychotropic drugs like sleeping pills, anti-anxiety drugs, or antidepressants. They also found that men whose jobs survived the cuts were 50% more likely to seek out prescriptions for those same drugs, compared to men whose units weren't downsized at all.

When downsizing occurs, experts say, employees left behind feel an increase in demands being placed on them as well as heightened insecurity about the future, which may explain these findings. Interestingly, this study was done in Finland -- a country with universal health care and a strong social safety net. I'm curious what the same study would turn up if it was repeated in the United States. What do you think?

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A recent Finish study has found that pet owners are often heavier and less active than their pet-free counterparts. While this certainly doesn't mean that pets make us fat, it does show a correlation between those who own pets and those with more sedentary lifestyles.

Oddly, even though some studies have suggested that pets are good for us -- lowering blood pressure, easing stress, and helping with loneliness -- this study finds that, not only are pet owners more likely to be overweight, but they're also more likely to view their overall health as poor.

These results are due largely to the fact that those with pets tend to be middle-aged, less-educated, and have more health-risk factors, but -- according to researchers -- regardless of your background, if you take the extra effort to play and walk your dog, it's more than possible to avoid the potential pitfalls of pet ownership.

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