Why is obesity a problem?

Over a quarter of adults and 20% of children are now classed as obese. That’s a huge issue for us as individuals, but also as a country. 

Why is that an issue? 

Being overweight can cause a number of serious health issues such as Diabetes and heart disease. It also means we don’t enjoy life as much because we are feeling out of breath, lacking energy or feeling generally unwell. 

Body mass index (BMI) is a widely-used way to check your weight relative to your height and understand if your current weight is considered to be healthy. 

You can check your own BMI score by clicking here to use the NHS BMI healthy weight calculator 

Don’t ignore it. Do something about it 

It can be daunting to make changes to your lifestyle, but it’s important that you try. By reducing your BMI you can reduce your risk of serious illness such as: 

• Type-2 diabetes 

• Coronary heart disease 

• Some types of cancer, such as breast cancer and bowel cancer 

• Stroke 

Being overweight is also linked to feelings of depression and low self esteem. Maybe you could help someone you know to lose weight? 

10th – 16th January marks National Obesity Awareness Week. It seeks to raise awareness of the risks associated with being overweight and encourage people to take a few steps towards a healthy BMI. 

What can I do to help myself? 

The best way to act against obesity is to eat healthier food and to eat less calories. Regular exercise will also make a huge difference. 

Here are a few ideas: 

• Join a local weight loss group 

• Try fast walking, jogging, swimming or tennis 

• Eat slowly and avoid situations where you know you could be tempted to overeat. 

You can get more info here <LINK TO THIS Obesity - Treatment - NHS (www.nhs.uk) 

Some of us may benefit from receiving psychological support from a trained healthcare professional to help change the way we think about food and eating. 

Additional support with exercise 

If it’s a long time since you did any exercise, you may want to consider a structured plan to help you get started.   

The NHS Couch to 5K running plan is such a tried and tested support which has helped thousands of people. It’s an App on your phone with a 9 week programme which has been specifically designed for absolute beginners. When you begin, the plan requires only movement for short periods of time, then as the plan progresses, gradually increases the amount movement and running.