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A new report from the the Royal College of Physicians, the Faculty of Public Health, and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health brings the alarming news that half of all British people are overweight or obese. They report that in 2002:
- 20% of adults were obese
- 9% of children between 2 and 4 years old were obese
- 16% of children between 6-15 year of age were obese
Overweight young people have a 50% chance of being overweight adults, and children of overweight parents have twice the risk of being overweight compared to those with healthy weight parents. If current trends continue, conservative estimates are that at least one-third of adults, one fifth of boys and one-third of girls will be obese by 2020.
The authors of the report argue that action needs to be taken by national and local government as well as by individuals on a personal level. It does say, however, that short term solutions are not enough. Any actions and policies to address the problems should be long-term and sustainable.
Several problems of excess weight and obesity are identified. They include:
- restricted activity,
- damage to health
- shortened life
- harm to self-esteem and social life.
Diseases caused and exacerbated by obesity and excess weight include:
- heart disease
- strokes
- joint problems
- type 2 diabetes
Overweight and obesity also result in a huge financial burden for government, the National Health Service (NHS) and society as a whole ? the National Audit Office estimates costs to the NHS of at least $0.5 billion a year, and $2 billion to the wider economy.
Source: www.allinfoabout.com
Image provided by: www.allposters.com
Authors: Carol Fisher |
