Obesity in the UK: The latest developments
Friday 22nd October 2010
Britain's obesity problem is the subject of a debate which seems never ending. Particularly in recent years, as awareness of the issue has grown, the scare stories and shock statistics seem to have arrived non-stop.
In the past few months, however, as the UK has been gripped by elections, spending cuts and other apparently more pressing issues, the discussion of our expanding waistlines seems to have gone a little quiet.
Many would describe the obesity 'epidemic' as a matter of urgency - and one which has major implications on other areas of the nation's health, not to mention the strain it places on Britain's health services.
So what is the latest to have emerged on the subject of our country's weight problem? And what should dieticians, cardiologists and other concerned health professionals be aware of in terms of policy to curb the issue?
A recent study conducted at Aberdeen University raised a point with which most of the medically trained would agree: an obesity crisis cannot be solved with exercise alone – people's eating habits will also need to be addressed.
The researchers claimed that Britain's overweight epidemic will not be reversed by simply encouraging people to visit the gym more often, because working individuals have increasingly little time to spare.
According to the energetics research group, a clinically obese person with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 could move swiftly towards a much healthier weight and BMI of 22, by reducing their calorie intake by one third.
"That is equivalent to exercising for around five hours a day. That is not realistic," commented Professor John Speakman, who led the study.
Professor Speakman's team discovered that, contrary to widespread belief, British people's lives have not become more sedentary in recent decades. The scientists found that physical activity had actually remained constant for at least the past 25 years, though obesity figures have rocketed.
Since 1985, the average British male has burned off 1,380 calories each day through exercise, compared with a typical 950 calories in women. The reason for soaring obesity rates, Professor Speakman said, is linked with people eating more high-calorie foods, rather than exercising less.
"Promoting exercise is a good idea, but if you want to tackle the obesity epidemic it is not the solution. Weight loss is not a key benefit from exercise," he said, adding that a person could burn just as many calories by foregoing a small sandwich as they could by taking a one-hour jog.
It is thought that around one-quarter of the UK's adult population and one-fifth of children are currently overweight, though the figure is expected to keep rising. An estimated 30,000 premature deaths in Britain are linked with obesity each year.
"You cannot exercise your way out of the obesity epidemic. It would take an enormous intervention in physical exercise," Professor Speakman argued.
"It is important for policymakers to realise that if they want to promote weight loss in overweight and obese people, the most effective way is through healthy eating and diets," he added.
Under recent proposals from health ministers and the food industry, however, this kind of improved education could be brought one step closer.
Health secretary Andrew Lansley wants restaurants and takeaway food outlets across the country to begin advising their customers as to how many calories are in every dish on their menu.
He aims to encourage more people to choose healthier options, which could potentially reduce the estimated £4.5 billion of NHS money spent annually to treat patients with diet-related illnesses.
"Our aim is to give people the help and advice they need to adopt a healthy lifestyle. I want to make it as easy as possible for them to do that. That's why we're working with industry to bring in calorie information on menus," Mr Lansley said.
He added: "As a nation we are too unhealthy. We cost the NHS billions of pounds a year through bad diet, lack of exercise and poor lifestyle choices."
There could be one major flaw with the proposed scheme, however. It is not intended as a mandatory requirement, but rather a voluntary initiative. Furthermore, calorie counts tell only part of the story.
Jackie Schneider, from food and farming charity Sustain, suggested that the programme should be extended to incorporate details of fat, salt and sugar content. " Our experience of voluntary schemes is that they are less effective," she told the Guardian.
In 2008, fast food retailer Wimpy added calorie counts to menus in its 160 UK restaurants. Clare Starling, the company's marketing manager, told the newspaper that very little change in customer behaviour had been observed.
"We haven't noticed any changes in the proportions of burgers we sell compared to salads or baked potatoes. Calorie counts are interesting, but not a decision-changer for the consumer. People want to stick to their favourites," she explained.
It seems the government is intent on supporting the population and health professionals in tackling the UK's weight problems. It also appears, however, that there is some way to go before any noticeable improvement is seen.
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