The Country That Swallows the Most Diet Pills CHINA Thirty-seven percent of the Chinese admit to taking weight-loss pills. Experts say that body consciousness is growing throughout China, and diet pills are seen as a quick and trendy way to achieve the ideal. But these pills can be dangerous—even deadly—because their manufacture is unregulated.

In our survey, women in nearly every country were more inclined than men to report trying a weight-loss aid. (In China, the split is 48-18 percent.) Also quick to turn to pills were Brazil (30 percent of survey respondents), Russia (24 percent), and Mexico (23 percent).

How the U.S. compares: Nineteen percent of Americans have popped diet pills. That includes 23 percent of women and 14 percent of men.

The Country in Which People Are Most Likely to Ignore Their Doctor SWITZERLAND When we asked people around the world for the reasons they’ve tried to lose weight, doctor’s orders were not high on the list. The Swiss gave their physician’s urging the least credence of anyone (just 11 percent cited that as a motivation). Mexicans (46 percent) and the French (39 percent) were most attentive.

How the U.S. compares: Twenty-nine percent of Americans say that their doctor helped convince them to lighten up, with more men (33 percent) than women (27 percent) paying attention to the advice.

The Country Where They’re Still Trying to Puff Off the Pounds RUSSIA Smoking to suppress appetite is recognized as a foolish trade-off throughout the world, but the habit persists anyway, particularly in the Philippines, China, Mexico, and, strikingly, Russia. Twenty-three percent of Russian men and 18 percent of women admit to smoking cigarettes in order to lose weight.

How the U.S. compares: Just 5 percent of Americans say they smoke for weight loss.

The Country Most Likely to Blame a Lack of Willpower THE PHILIPPINES You have to commend their honesty: A full 95 percent of Filipinos say they enjoy good food, and 82 percent admit to simply not having the willpower to resist it. Indeed, only 38 percent have even tried to lose weight.

How the U.S. compares: Almost half of Americans say food is just plain irresistible. But we’re more apt to blame our weight on lack of exercise (84 percent).

The Country Most Likely to Blame the Parents RUSSIA An amazing 70 percent of Russians point to their genes as a major reason they need bigger jeans. Germans (61 percent) and Indians (50 percent) also use this excuse. How the U.S. compares: Twenty percent of Americans blame Mom and Dad.

The Country Most Likely to Blame Americans FRANCE Should we be surprised? Probably not, given that French fries–freedom fries exchange a few years ago. More than any other country surveyed, France points to America’s eating habits and fast food as prime culprits in its growing girth.

How the U.S. compares: At least we take responsibility for the effects of our fast-food habit. Almost three quarters of Americans say our way of eating promotes obesity.

The Country with the Highest Weight Loss IQ MEXICO Almost all Mexicans—93 percent of them—report switching to more healthful food in an attempt to lose their belly. Eighty-six percent have also tried to become more physically active. More than any other country surveyed, Mexico knows the sensible approach to weight loss—even if its citizens don’t always put that knowledge into practice. About 70 percent of Mexican adults are overweight or obese, according to that country’s National Institute for Public Health.

How the U.S. compares: Eighty-six percent of Americans have tried eating more healthfully, and 75 percent have attempted to work out. But 61 percent (versus 55 percent of Mexicans) still resort to dietary deprivation, which studies show has a dismal success rate over the long haul.

The Country Where Pounds Are Most Likely to Get in the Way of Promotions INDIA Sixty-seven percent of Indians say that being overweight can “seriously interfere” with career advancement. That’s at least ten points higher than in any other nation surveyed. In fact, 41 percent of dieters there say they were motivated by a desire to be promotable. And this is one of the few instances where men (52 percent) feel greater pressure to trim down than women (31 percent). The notion that excess pounds can leave you wedged into a dead end in the office is also pervasive in Germany and the Philippines.

How the U.S. compares: Forty-one percent of Americans think being overweight can sink a career—but only 4 percent of us admit to dieting to impress the boss.

The Country Where Overweight Women Struggle Most UNITED STATES In most countries, people agree that it’s just plain tough to be overweight, whether you’re male or female, but there were a couple of striking exceptions. Fifty-seven percent of people in China say that being well-padded poses no particular problems for either sex. And in the United States, respondents say that being overweight is harder on women. Almost half of Americans (58 percent of women and 37 percent of men) voiced this opinion.

The Countries Where Being Fat Interferes Most with Your Sex Life (tie) AUSTRALIA AND MEXICO The majority (52 percent) of people in both of these nations say being fat holds them back from having a good time in the sack. Russia came in close behind, with 51 percent agreeing. Interestingly, Hungarians (15 percent) and the Dutch (18 percent) are least likely to say size makes a difference to their sex lives.

In every country, men were more likely than women to predict amorous woes, with men in Australia, China, and Mexico most inclined to say that pounds created problems in this regard.

How the U.S. compares: Forty-six percent of Americans (51 percent of men and 41 percent of women) say excess heftiness gets in the way of frolicking.