The Heavy

Truth about
Obesity
THE HUGE FACTS YOU SHOULD
KNOW
OBESITY: THE FACTS

Obesity is one of the leading causes of ill health in the UK after

being linked as one of the top five contributing factors to a third of
cancers
By 2015, it is predicted that obesity will cost the NHS 6.4bn
UK Brits on average weigh 3 stone more than compared to 50
years ago
% of UK population who are overweight or obese

Gender

67%

57%
% of UK population

29%
26%
Men Women Boys Girls
Category of UK population
OBESITY BY CATEGORY

More than 6 out of 10 men are

overweight or obese

More than 5 out of 10 women are

overweight or obese

One in five children in Reception is

overweight or obese

One in three children in Year 6 is

overweight or obese (boys 34.8%, girls
31.8%)
MAN vs WOMAN: BATTLE OF OBESITY

One out of four men is obese

(24.7%)

One out of four women is obese

(25.7%)
BMI STATUS OF CHILDREN BY AGE
NATIONAL CHILD MEASUREMENT PROGRAMME
ADULT BMI STATUS BY SEX
HEALTH SURVEY FOR ENGLAND 2010-2012

Male BMI Female BMI

ALTHOUGH MEN ARE MORE OVERWEIGHT, WOMEN HAVE A HIGHER OBESITY RATE
MORTALITY RATE vs BMI

There is much evidence which demonstrates that obesity measured by either

BMI or waist circumference is a good predictor of an individuals risk of death.

Higher risks of death can be seen in the lower (underweight) and upper (obese)
BMI categories than in the middle categories. As you can see from the
illustration, adults with a high BMI have the highest risk of death of all the categories.
 EUROPEAN STANDINGS
% OF POPULATION WHO ARE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE IN EUROPE

MEN WOMEN
TOP FIVE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TOP FIVE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
MEN WOMEN

60.9%
74.0% 73.6%

71.4% 57.8%
57.2%

54.6%
67.8%
66.6% 52.7%

MALTA ICELAND GREECE CYRPUS UK ICELAND MALTA UK PORTUGAL ISRAEL

UK MEN WEIGH IN AS THE FIFTH MOST OBESE COUNTRY IN EUROPE WITH UK WOMEN COMING IN THIRD
CAUSES OF OBESITY

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES
MAKING LIFE EASIER MAKING COMFORT EATING
US LAZIER

LACK OF BASIC
RISE IN HIGH FAT DIETS UNDERSTANDING ABOUT
NUTRITION

LACK OF APPROPRIATE MEDICAL AND GENETIC

PHYSICAL EXERCISE FACTORS

INCREASING NUMBER OF FAST

RISE IN HIGH SUGAR DIETS
FOOD CHAINS
 WAYS TO TACKLE OBESITY

GOVERNMENT PLEDGE 280 MILLION TO THE SCHOOL MEAL PLAN

DEPT FOR EDUCATION AND SKILLS CREATE SCHOOL FOOD TRUST - 60 MILLION
INITIATIVE TO IMPROVE THE STANDARD OF SCHOOL MEALS

CELEBRITY CHEF CAMPAIGNS JAMIE OLIVER, GORDON RAMSAY, HESTON BLUMENTHAL

TV SHOWS AIRING SHOWING THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF OBESITY AND HOW TO TACKLE IT:
Obese: A Year To Save My Life
Supersize vs Superskinny
Embarrassing Bodies

30 MILLION GRANT ISSUED TO BUILD & IMPROVE CYCLE PATHS & PLAYGROUNDS NATIONWIDE

THE RISE OF HEALTHY EATING CLUBS TO EDUCATE ON HEALTHY EATING

LOW COST GYM MEMBERSHIPS MAKING EXERCISE & SUPPORT AVAILABLE AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE
 LOWERING THE RISKS

LOWER RISK OF 35% CORONARY HEART DISEASE

LOWER RISK OF DEPRESSION 30% 35% LOWER RISK OF STROKE

LOWER RISK OF FRACTURE 68% 50% LOWER RISK OF COLON CANCER

MORE INFO

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO SEE THE INFOGRAPHIC GO TO

http://www.gymroom.com/info/performance-portal/the-heavy-
truth-about-obesity-infographic
 SOURCES
(1) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21667065
(2) http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/Wh
ybeactive.aspx
(3) http://www.rsph.org.uk/en/Utilities/case-
studies.cfm/csid/8F43BE88-F1B0-4BF3-
991EC7D9B1C08E7A
(4) http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/m
ay/29/uk-western-europe-obesity-study
(5) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity_in_the_U
nited_Kingdom
(6) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-28985874
(7) http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/0/21702372
(8) http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB1364
8/Obes-phys-acti-diet-eng-2014-rep.pdf For more
(9) http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/tools/bmi_calcul
ator/bmi.shtml information go to:
(10) http://www.noo.org.uk/NOO_about_obesity/c
hild_obesity http://www.gymroom.com/info/performa
(11) http://www.noo.org.uk/NOO_about_obesity/ nce-portal/the-heavy-truth-about-obesity-
infographic
mortality
(12) http://www.noo.org.uk/slide_sets