More Than 12 Million Adults In The UK Could Be Obese By 2010 Warns Government Report

Main Category: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 28 Aug 2006 - 1:00 PDT

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Nearly a third of men will be obese by 2010, along with more than 12 million adults overall and one million children, if we don't start to make changes as a nation to our lifestyles - figures published by the Department of Health showed today.

The grim picture was reached following a report commissioned to predict the levels of obesity in England should current trends continue and no interventions take place.

Other findings showed that:

- Girls will overtake boys in the obesity stakes, with nearly 1 in 5 girls aged 2-10 expected to be obese in 2010;

- Statistics for 2003 showed that more boys in middle-class (non-manual) households were more obese compared to manual;

- Nearly a third of men will be obese by 2010, with figures increasing from 4.3m in 2003 to 6.7m in 2010;

- In households with two obese parents, 1 child in 4 is obese, compared to 1 child in 8 in households where one parents is obese and 1 in 20 where no parents are obese.

This is the most accurate estimate so far, of what we could all be facing in this country unless people take more responsibility for their own health and more importantly, their children's.

Commenting on the 'Forecasting Obesity to 2010' report, Secretary of State for Health Patricia Hewitt said:

"In the old days, the big health challenges were infectious diseases like Typhoid and TB, but these days, our health depends much more on what we do for ourselves than on what the NHS does for us. That's why each of us needs to think about how we can lead healthier lives. It might be as simple as cutting down on the number of take-aways we eat, saying no to that extra pint of beer, getting off the bus one stop earlier or walking our children to school - all small changes that can make big differences.

And that's why we need to take action now. We've already stepped in to try and slow this worrying trend, but there's only so much the Government can do. People need to want to change their lifestyles and take responsibility for their health - before they face problems in later life such as coronary heart disease, type two diabetes or cancer.

"Government and the NHS will support people in leading healthier lives but ultimately, it is each individual's choice that counts.

Obesity, in particular amongst children, has become an increasingly worrying problem across the developing world - a fact reflected in the recent World Health Organisation report that showed, for the first time ever, there are now more obese than malnourished people.

The Choosing Health White Paper was a major step forward in helping to improve people's health after consultations told us that people wanted support to change their lifestyles. And 'Small Change Big Difference' launched by the Prime Minister earlier this year offered practical solutions to help people make changes to their lifestyles in the hope of healthier futures.

The Secretary of State for Health added:

"With children heading back to school in September - these statistics should give parents food for thought on how to make their kids' lifestyles healthier. It's about thinking of what's in their packed lunches, educating them to choose the healthy option on their school dinner menu and encouraging them to play outside instead of on their computers.

"We are intervening and helping to make a difference, but we want today's figures to act as a stark reminder of the problem we and our children will face if we don't act now and start making healthier lifestyle choices. "

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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1. The Forecasting Obesity by 2010 report is available on the Department of Health website at:
http://www.dh.gov.uk

2. The report was commissioned by the Department of Health and compiled by the National Centre for Social Research

3. Reducing obesity is one of the six overarching priorities of the Choosing Health White Paper published in November 2004. The White Paper sets out a comprehensive plan of action on physical activity, diet, personalised support, information and curbs on marketing, that provides a strong foundation for tackling obesity.

4. The Government has set the target to halt the year-on-year increase in obesity among children under the age of 11 by 2010, in the context of a broader strategy to tackle obesity in the population as a whole (a joint PSA target with DH, DfES and DCMS)

5. Obesity is commonly defined by the Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is calculated by dividing weight, in kilograms, by the square of the height, in metres. For adults, cut-off points of BMI scores of 25 and 30 are accepted as definitions of overweight and obesity, respectively, as they can be clearly related to increased risks in morbidity and mortality

6. The obesity PSA target defines children as overweight and obese if their BMI falls above the 85th and 95th centile, respectively, of the reference curve for their age and gender.

7. The NHS spends around £1 billion annually on obesity related illnesses that can be prevented.

8. Millions have been invested across government departments on a range of initiatives to improve children's health. This includes:
- Work by the Department for Education & Skills to transform school dinners
- The Department of Health ensuring all 4-6 year olds now receive free fruit at school
- Department of Health reforming the welfare food scheme so that parents on benefits have access to fresh fruit and vegetables as well as milk.
- The Department for Culture Media & Sport and the Department for Education & Skills investing in the National School Sport Strategy and on course for 75% of 5 to 16 year olds to get at least 2 hours of PE and school sport a week by the end of this year.
- The Department of Health and Department for Education and Skills driving the Healthy Schools Programme, with three quarters of schools - nearly 18,000 - already on it, of which nearly 10,000 have achieved healthy school status. Schools must meet standards in healthy food and in physical activity to achieve healthy school status.

9. Government departments are also engaging and supporting parents to drive forward improvements in their child's health and well-being , through the Child Health Promotion Programme, Children's Centres, and extended schools, and also by improving the range of information available to parents e.g. improved signpost labelling on foods.

For further information please go to:
UK Department of Health