An overweight Brazilian woman pauses on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, December 16, 2004. It may be known as the land of slender super models, champion soccer players and itsy-bitsy bikinis, but Brazil is increasingly fattening up like the United States. A government study released on Thursday said 40 percent of Brazilian adults, or about 40 million people, are considered overweight and another 11.1 percent are obese. The culprit appears to be the South American country's sweet tooth, a lack of exercise and the gradual replacement of staples like rice and beans for processed foods, like cookies and soft-drinks, the report said. REUTERS/Sergio Moraes SM