Some basic facts and figures about obesity and why it is a modern epidemic.

Obesity basic information

What is obesity?
Obesity is excess body fat for a given height and gender. It happens when more calories are taken into the body than are burnt up over a period of time. Once adulthood is reached, everyone has a fairly steady rate of calorie burn-up, called the metabolic rate. This is higher in people who are regularly physically active – so, for example, someone who works in a very physical job, such as a building-site labourer, may need as many as 4-5,000 calories per day to keep an even weight. This contrasts with an office worker who uses a car and doesn’t exercise, who may need only 1,500 calories per day. If calories in food energy are greater than the calories used up every day, the excess energy is stored by the body as fat – and this is where problems can start to occur.

How can I tell if I’m overweight or obese?
People are classed as obese if they have a ‘body mass index’ or BMI over 30, and overweight if it is between 25 and 30. Calculating your own BMI is very easy. Take your weight in kilograms and divide it by the square of your height in metres. For example, a 5’ 11” (1.80m) man weighing 14st 9lbs (93kg) would calculate: 93 divided by 3.24 (achieved from multiplying 1.80 x 1.80). His BMI would be 28.7.

Why all the attention in the news?
The media has picked up recently on the alarming increases in obesity in the UK. The National Audit Office (NAO) says that the adult obesity rate in the UK has tripled since 1982. 20 per cent of Britons – one in five of us – are now considered to be obese. It’s even worse in the US. In the states of Alabama, Mississippi, and West Virginia, more than 25 per cent of the population is considered obese. Obesity has become one of the most serious medical problems of the western world, and, most worryingly, our children are taking on our unhealthy eating and poor exercise habits too.

Why is it a problem?
Obesity can lead to severe, life-threatening health problems. The main ones are heart attacks, strokes, cancers, arthritis and diabetes, but there are many more. The risk of death from all causes increases steadily as obesity increases in both women and men of all ages. Men with the highest BMI have three times the risk of dying in a particular year compared with men having a normal BMI. Obesity-related deaths are now second only to those related to smoking, and will soon overtake smoking as the leading preventable cause of death in the UK. The NAO reports that obesity costs the NHS £500million per year.

What can I do about it?
Both drugs and surgery are available which may help people to lose weight, but these are only used as a last resort in extreme cases. To lose weight and, crucially, keep the weight off, what is really required is a complete change in lifestyle. More exercise, a healthier balanced diet and realistic expectations of what you can achieve can help make the change permanent.
  • Increase the amount of aerobic exercise you do. A rough guide is to do anything that makes you work hard for 30 minutes five times a week. You know you’re working hard if you’re slightly short of breath, sweating mildly and have a raised heart rate. Check with your GP that any activity you’re planning is safe for you. Find a way to exercise that you find enjoyable, as this will help you to stick with it. For example, go for a brisk walk for 15 minutes. Do not stop until you turn around to walk back briskly for another 15 minutes.
  • Cut back on foods that are high in calories. Pretty obviously, this means less processed foods, fewer fried foods, fewer takeaways, fewer fizzy drinks and less foods that are high in saturated fats. There is a whole range of books on healthy eating available from your local bookshop or public library that can advise you. Also, remember to read the labels on your food products and go for the low-fat options.
  • Increase your fruit and vegetable intake. All of us should aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. One portion means one handful. It’s quite shocking how many of us don’t meet the ‘5 a day’ target.


Above all else, if you are worried about your weight or your diet – talk to your GP.

Factfile
1. Obesity accounts for 30,000 deaths a year in the UK, and reduces life expectancy on average by nine years.
2. The combined annual marketing spend of Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola is $2.2billion.
3. One in five children in Britain eat no fruit at all.
4. In 2001, we ate two billion meals from fast food restaurants in the UK.
5. The average cost to produce a school meal is 35p.

Other Resources
NHS Direct information on obesity
BUPA Factsheet on health weight
Web search for obesity using Kosmix

- an online weight loss programme.


IMPORTANT NOTICE : This content is from the Dr Chris Steele personal archive and is provided for convenience only. Information contained here may no longer agree with the most up to date medical advice. Please check with a medical professional before taking any action.

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