Trivia #3

A. Apples

The apple originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found today. Apples have been grown for thousands of years in Asia and Europe and were brought to North America by European colonists.

The Columbian exchange, named for Christopher Columbus, was the widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, diseases, and ideas between the Americas, West Africa, and the Old World in the 15th and 16th centuries.

C. Nauru

While statistics vary, the Pacific Island nation of Nauru has the highest percentage of obese inhabitants in the world. The obesity rate ranges from 61% to 71.7%. In small Pacific Island nations approximately four of every five citizens are obese. The reason is almost all of the food in these island nations are imported and therefore expensive, but fast-food chains offer cheap high-calorie processed food which makes a convenient alternative.

The United States is the most obese country in North America with 36.2% of its population having a body mass index of over 30.0. Nearly 78 million adults and 13 million children in the United States deal with the health and emotional effects of obesity every day. According to the CDC an average adult is 26 pounds heavier now than in the 1950’s.

Life expectancy has fallen to 64 in Tonga. Tongan life expectancy used to be in the mid-70s. Up to 40% of the population is said to have type 2 diabetes. Tongan Royal Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, who died in 2006, holds the Guinness World Record for being the heaviest-ever monarch at 440 lbs.

D. Nebraska

In an attempt to encourage tourism, the Nebraska Tourism Commission hired brand consultants to come up with a catchy, compelling slogan: “Nebraska: Honestly, it’s not for everyone.”

C. Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an American national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The border between Tennessee and North Carolina runs northeast to southwest through the centerline of the park. Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited national park in the United States with over 11.3 million recreational visitors in 2016. The Appalachian Trail passes through the center of the park on its route from Maine to Georgia. The park was chartered by the United States Congress in 1934 and officially dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940.

1	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	11,421,200
2	Grand Canyon National Park	6,380,495
3	Rocky Mountain National Park	4,590,493
4	Zion National Park	4,320,033
5	Yellowstone National Park	4,115,000
6	Yosemite National Park	4,009,436
7	Acadia National Park	3,537,575
8	Grand Teton National Park	3,491,151
9	Olympic National Park	3,104,455
10	Glacier National Park	2,965,309

D. The Philippines

With 9 in 10 Filipinos suffering tooth decay and only one in 10 of them willing and able to see a dentist once a year, oral health care is a crisis. A government survey, indicated that one in seven citizens are absent from work or school at least once a month and one in 10 fail to go to school or work at least twice a year due to aching tooth or gums. Two disturbing findings of the survey are that nine in 10 urban children have decayed tooth, and women have more missing teeth than men. Seven in 10 women have missing teeth, while it is five in 10 for men. Even the number of missing teeth, women trump men: An average eight missing teeth for females, while four for males.

1. The Philippines: This island nation located in between the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea takes the cake (literally and figuratively) of the worst oral health in the world. The Philippines College of Dentistry found that nearly 90 percent of Filipinos suffer from tooth decay. Another astonishing finding is that nearly 100 percent of children between 3 and 5 years old have cavities.

2. India: With over a billion people, the subcontinent of India was bound to make the list. India’s National Oral Health Program reports that 95 percent of all adults have gum disease, and 50 percent of citizens don’t use a toothbrush. The program also noted that 70 percent of children under the age of 15 have dental caries.

3. Australia: This Western country may come as a surprise on this list, but its statistics earn it the number 3 spot. Nearly half of all 6-year-olds have tooth decay in their baby teeth. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children between ages four and 15 are more likely to experience dental disease.

4. Bolivia: Nestled in the middle of South America, Bolivia has some of the worst oral health in the region. Twelve-year-olds have an average of four decayed, missing, or filled-in teeth. A study also suggests that only 50 percent of students own a toothbrush.

5. Poland: This Eastern European country has one of the highest tooth decay rates in the world. The average amount of decayed, missing, or filled teeth for children under 12 is a shocking four teeth. This country is considered to have the worst oral health in all of Europe.