Obesity

Obesity is when a person is carrying too much body fat for their height and sex.

Two thirds of UK adults are now considered overweight or obese. This means that they are at least two to three stone overweight and putting their health at serious risk.

Obesity is not just a problem that affects adults. At least a tenth of six-year-olds and almost a fifth of 15-year-olds are now clinically obese. Childhood obesity should not be dismissed as 'puppy fat' - it is a strong indication that the child will be obese as an adult and is likely to lead to serious health risks in later life.

Being a little bit overweight tends not to cause too many noticeable problems, but once you are carrying a few extra stones, symptoms will affect your daily life.

The immediate symptoms of obesity include:

  • breathlessness,
  • sweating a lot,
  • snoring,
  • difficulty sleeping,
  • inability to cope with sudden physical activity,
  • feeling very tired every day, and
  • Back and joint pains.

In the longer term, obesity greatly increases your risk of:

  • high blood pressure,
  • heart disease and stroke,
  • high cholesterol levels (fatty deposits blocking up your arteries),
  • breast cancer in women,
  • gall bladder disease,
  • gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (when acid from the stomach flows up into the gullet) and associated problems,
  • arthritis of the back, hips, knees and ankles,
  • diabetes, and difficulty controlling existing diabetes,
  • polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS - multiple cysts within the ovaries), and
  • Reduced life expectancy.

In addition to the immediate and short-term problems of obesity, many people may also experience psychological problems, such as low self-esteem and low confidence, and having reduced mobility which can lead to a poor quality of life.

Calculating your BMI

Body Mass Index (BMI) is currently used as the most accurate and reliable way of measuring how overweight you are. A person is considered obese if they have a BMI of 30 or greater.

You can work out your own BMI using this calculation:

  1. Measure your height in metres and multiply the number by itself - this is the squared figure,
  2. Measure your weight in kilograms,
  3. Divide your weight by the answer you got in step 1 (squared height),
  4. The number you are left with is your BMI.

Physical activity

To reduce your BMI

  1. Eat well
  2. Be more physically active
  3. Reduce sedentary behaviour
  4. Increase confidence and self esteem

Tips to become more physically active

  1. Make physical activity part of your normal daily routine
  2. 30 minutes on 5 days a week to improve general stroke/ heart health which can be split into three 10 minute sessions
  3. If weight loss is your goal you may need more exercise than this.

Tips to reduce sedentary behaviour

  1. Limit children to two hours TV/games console per day
  2. Turn off the TV and encourage other activities. Most of these will use more calories than sitting still.
  3. Leave the car behind for short journeys

Tips for increasing confidence

  1. Improving health is one of the best motivators for weight loss
  2. If you do not think you are important enough you will not make necessary changes

Tips for eating well

  1. Base your meals on starchy foods
  2. Eat lots of fruit and veg
  3. Eat more fish
  4. Cut down on saturated fat and sugar
  5. Try to eat less salt - no more than 6g a day
  6. Get active and try to be a healthy weight
  7. Drink plenty of water
  8. Don't skip breakfast

Useful websites