According to research, UK obesity levels are more than three times that of 1980 levels and it’s blamed for about 30,000 deaths a year, around 9,000 of which occur before retirement.
One in four adults suffer from a mild or severe form of obesity and alarmingly, 61.7% of the population are either obese or overweight.
“Obesity” refers to a person who is extremely overweight, with excess body fat. Generally, a person is considered overweight if they have a body mass index (BMI) of between 25 and 29.9 and obese with a BMI of 30 and above; and higher than 40 and it’s classified as severe obesity.
Put simply, obesity is commonly caused by eating too much and moving too little. If high amounts of energy are consumed through fat and sugars, they will be stored by the body as fat if no physical activity occurs.
In today’s society, our lifestyle has become increasingly inactive. Most jobs are sedentary and involve sitting at a desk, in which people commute by car as opposed to walking or cycling. And how do most people relax after work? By again, sitting down watching TV. This unhealthy combination contributes to weight gain and poor overall health.
The Department of Health recommends that adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week, such as cycling or fast walking.
Take a look at your lifestyle and see if you identify with any of the following:
If so, you can start by limiting your intake of any the above.
Obesity can seriously increase the risk of developing many health conditions:
If you’re unsure whether you classify as overweight or obese, the NHS Healthy Weight Calculator can help you. Here, you’re able to enter your height and weight which together, gives you your personal BMI.