The World Health Organisation (WHO) has made a call today- on World Obesity Day - for “widespread” action to tackle the planet's weight problem.
More than 603 million adults and 107 million children (out of a global population of around 7.5 billion) are obese, according to a report published at the end of 2019.
The UK at No.47 on the list has the highest number of overweight people in the EU with almost 30% of women and just under 27% men now reported as overweight. Obesity is in full swing.
Not only this, but our stats for lack of exercise, high cholesterol and excessive drinking aren’t doing us any favours in the fitness level stakes.
These statistics follow a warning that one in ten of us think we are about average weight perceiving our above-average weight as normal , heading down the same slippery slope as our friends across the pond in the US, the most obese nation in the world.
The European Society of Cardiology ranks British men as the most obese in 47 countries including the 28 in the EU. British women have the second worst rate of obesity.
So, what’s happened to put our nation at the top of this list of obesity shame?
Well we tend to eat more than we need thanks to the abundance of convenient foods available to us.
We work more, leaving less time for exercise due to challenging careers, family life and busy social schedules. Plus, we’re uneducated on the benefits of physical activity in the fight against obesity and related life-threatening illnesses. Overcoming obesity is a long-term process and although processed foods, sugar filled drinks and cheap eats have contributed to the issue, lack of exercise also plays a crucial part.
The report shows 26.9% of British men are obese, and in danger of a heart attack or stroke, compared to an average EU rate of 22.9%. Even more British women are severely overweight, making up 29.2%, compared with an EU average of 23.1%.
Just under 45% of British women don’t get their recommended 150 minutes of exercise every week. Men do slightly better but just over 33% of men are still not active enough.
When it comes to alcohol consumption, the UK is 10th worst offender of binge drinkers of the 47 countries. More than a quarter of Britons admitted heavy drinking in the previous 30 days, compared to the average of 19.1%.
Britain has now become the obesity capital of the EU!
What are we going to do about it?
As we continue in the battle of the bulge a big solution to the countless health problems linked to obesity, is exercise. Not to simply become fitter, but to help in shifting the weight. Weight gain is a risk factor for a whole host of health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some cancers, and already costs the UK over £5 billion every year.
Britain’s obesity epidemic is being fuelled by the sheer abundance of food, with reports showing that we’re enjoying a whopping 50% more calories than we need. Whilst we’re all aware that obesity is on the rise, we often point towards the increase in sedentary lifestyles, desk jobs and use of our cars as the culprit in hindering our fight against the fat. These factors all contribute to the obesity epidemic, though it’s true that the food available to us affects the choices we make about what we put into our bodies.
There’s been talk of GP’s being incentivised to put obese patients on a healthy diet, the government providing the obese with exercise plans and even young children joining fat camps. Yet until we educate the nation on the serious risks of obesity, the problem will continue to grow.
Educating the nation on what the body needs to function effectively, and how to prepare simple, healthy, and realistic meals will make a huge impact in the number of diet and obesity-related health issues within the UK. Not to mention the 33,000 premature deaths linked to being overweight.
Our Weight plan will equip you with the tools required for healthy dieting and you’ll have the professional advice and motivational push to manage your weight for a longer and healthier life.
If you’re ready to tackle your weight problems and diet-related illnesses, speak to us NOW and get yourself in better-shape!
info@better-bodies.co.uk or 07594072500