Obesity and Health

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Facts about Obesity

  • Worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975.
  • 62% of the UK population is overweight.
  • This equates to 58% of women and 68% of men.
  • Nearly 25% of adults are classed as obese.
  • 525,000 NHS admissions were obesity related in 2015/2016.
  • The UK has the largest rates of obesity in Europe.
  • Obesity is responsible for 30,000 deaths a year.
  • Obesity is preventable.

What is obesity and what is considered overweight?

Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health.

Body mass index (BMI) is a simple index of weight-for-height that is commonly used to classify overweight and obesity in adults. It is defined as a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of his height in meters (kg/m2).

Adults

For adults, WHO defines overweight and obesity as follows:

  • overweight is a BMI greater than or equal to 25; and
  • obesity is a BMI greater than or equal to 30.

BMI provides the most useful population-level measure of overweight and obesity as it is the same for both sexes and for all ages of adults. However, it should be considered a rough guide because it may not correspond to the same degree of fatness in different individuals.

BMI is a measure of whether you’re a healthy weight for your height.

You can use the NHS BMI healthy weight calculator to work out your score.

For most adults, a BMI of:

  • 18.5 to 24.9 means you’re a healthy weight
  • 25 to 29.9 means you’re overweight
  • 30 to 39.9 means you are obese
  • 40 or above means you are severely obese

BMI is not used to diagnose obesity because people who are very muscular can have a high BMI without much fat.

But for most people, BMI is a useful indication of whether they are a healthy weight.

A better measure of excess fat is waist size, which can be used as an additional measure in people who are overweight (with a BMI of 25 to 29.9) or moderately obese (with a BMI of 30 to 34.9).

Measuring your waist is a good way to check you are not carrying too much fat around your stomach, which can raise your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke.

You can have a healthy BMI and still have excess tummy fat, meaning you’re still at risk of developing these conditions.

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Find the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hips.

  1. Wrap a tape measure around your waist midway between these points.
  2. Breathe out naturally before taking the measurement.

Regardless of your height or BMI, you should try to lose weight if your waist is:

  • 94cm (37ins) or more for men
  • 80cm (31.5ins) or more for women

You are at very high risk if your waist is:

  • 102cm (40ins) or more for men
  • 88cm (34ins) or more for women

Risks of obesity

It’s very important to take steps to tackle obesity because, as well as causing obvious physical changes, it can lead to a number of serious and potentially life-threatening conditions.

Obesity can cause a number of further problems, including difficulties with daily activities and serious health conditions.

Day-to-day problems related to obesity include:

  • breathlessness
  • increased sweating
  • snoring
  • difficulty doing physical activity
  • often feeling very tired
  • joint and back pain
  • low confidence and self-esteem
  • feeling isolated

Serious health conditions

With the recent Covid-19 epidemic it appears that obesity can cause an enormous increase in mortality. Living with excess weight puts people at greater risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19, with risk growing substantially as body mass index (BMI) increases.

Nearly 8% of critically ill patients with COVID-19 in intensive care units have been morbidly obese, compared with 2.9% of the general population.

In July 2020 Public Health England estimated that having a BMI of 35 to 40 could increase a person’s chances of dying from Covid-19 by 40%, while a BMI greater than 40 could increase the risk by 90%

Being obese can also increase your risk of developing many potentially serious health conditions, including:

  • Type 2 Diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • High Cholesterol and atherosclerosis with fatty deposits narrowing the arteries.
  • Coronary Heart disease
  • Stroke
  • Asthma
  • several types of Cancer including bowel, breast and uterine 
  • gastro-oesophageal reflux disease where acid from the stomach leaks out into the gullet
  • Gallstones
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Sleep Apnoea
  • Liver disease

Obesity reduces life expectancy by an average of 3 to 10 years, depending on how severe it is.

It is estimated that obesity and being overweight contribute to at least 1 in every 13 deaths in Europe.

Causes of obesity

Obesity is generally caused by consuming more calories, particularly those in fatty and sugary foods, than you burn off through physical activity. The excess energy is stored by the body as fat.

Obesity is an increasingly common problem because for many people modern living involves eating excessive amounts of cheap high-calorie food and spending a lot of time sitting down at desks, on sofas or in cars.

Sitting for long periods is thought to slow the metabolism, which affects the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, blood pressure and break down body fat.

Many adults in the UK spend around 9 hours a day sitting. This includes watching TV, using a computer, reading, doing homework, travelling by car, bus or train but does not include sleeping.

Move more, sit less

The UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines report recommends breaking up long periods of sitting time with activity for just 1 to 2 minutes.

Adults aged 19 to 64 are advised to try to sit down less throughout the day, including at work, when travelling and at home. 

Tips to reduce sitting time:

  • stand on the train or bus 
  • take the stairs and walk up escalators 
  • set a reminder to get up every 30 minutes 
  • place a laptop on a box or similar to work standing 
  • stand or walk around while on the phone 
  • take a walk break every time you take a coffee or tea break 
  • walk to a colleague’s desk instead of emailing or calling 
  • swap some TV time for more active tasks or hobbies

Treating obesity

The best way to treat obesity is to eat a healthy reduced-calorie diet and exercise regularly.

To do this, you should:

  • eat a balanced calorie-controlled diet as recommended by a GP or weight loss management health professional (such as a dietitian)
  • join a local weight loss group
  • take up activities such as fast walking, jogging, swimming or tennis for 150 to 300 minutes (2.5 to 5 hours) a week
  • eat slowly and avoid situations where you know you could be tempted to overeat

Sources-

NHS.uk

WHO

BMJ