Obesity

Background

Obesity is caused from increased consumption of foods high in saturated fat and sugars combined with a reduction in physical activity. Obesity is associated and linked to many health problems including coronary heart disease (CHD) , diabetes, osteoarthritis and hypertension. It also reduces fertility and increases risks associated with pregnancy. Recent research also highlights a strong association between obesity and cancer. People who are overweight or obese appear to have higher levels of depression and evidence has shown that being obese is the biggest reason for being bullied at school.

Around 2/3 of the population of England are overweight or obese. Obesity has grown by almost 400% in the last 25 years. According to the Select Committee for Health 2004, predictions are that today’s generation of children will be the first for over a century for whom life expectancy falls.

I obtained a copy of the �Tackling Obesity – A Framework for action in Dudley’ from the website. The Framework has been developed from information provided nationally by the NHS and from documents such as:

• Tackling Obesity in England – National Audit Office, 2001

• Health Select Committee, 2004

• Choosing Health : Making Healthier Choices Easier, Department of Health, 2004

Definition of Obesity

Obesity is defined as an excessive amount of body fat in relation to lean body mass. There are a number of ways to measure obesity, the most widely used method is Body Mass Index (BMI)

Why is Obesity a Problem?

Obesity is a problem for the health of the individual concerned but also with that of the community. There is a direct link between obesity and premature death and significant increase in risk to mortality from related diseases. There is also a strong association between obesity and absenteeism and the Audit Commission estimated that over 18 million days of medically certified sickness absence was connected to obesity in 1998 alone.

Factors influencing weight gain

Genetic factors – whilst studies indicate susceptibility of becoming overweight is genetic, it is not responsible for the obesity epidemic.

Behaviour and the Environment – changes in society and culture have led to a more sedentary lifestyle and changes in what we eat:

• Reduction in exercise. Research shows that physical activity today compared with 50 years ago is the equivalent of running a marathon a week e.g. 3500 calories.

• Car ownership

• Less than half of our children are walking to school

• Education establishments struggle to meet the Government’s target of two hours of physical exercise per week

• Decline in walking made worse by fears of personal safety especially in inner cities

• Energy saving devices such as lifts and escalators

• Computers and computer games including the Internet which substitutes for physical activity

The effect on people

• Evidence suggests that a growing number of people lack basic skills and confidence to cook

• Information about nutrition confuses people and heavy advertising and promotional campaigns add to this confusion

• Easy access to take away and restaurants