A study published in the International Journal of Obesity has revealed some very interesting statistics for the UK which seems to demonstrate that overweight and obese people in the UK are actually bigger than they were 10 years before but thin people have not noticed any change in their body shape at all. This would suggest that the average increase in weight over the last 10 years has been very unevenly distributed.
The study compared a sample of 12,000 men and women taken in 1993/4 with a similar sample taken in 2003/4. Male obesity had risen from 13.4% to 22.7% and female obesity had risen from 15.8% to 22.4%. The waist circumference had increased by 3.48cm and 4.35cm, respectively.
The research was led by Cancer Research UK. Obesity can lead to several types of cancers so there is a much wider imperative in getting people to lose weight other than just the fact that it looks aesthetically unpleasing. Those of us encouraging people to lose weight are not body fascists – we just want to help overweight patients get down to the right weight so that they can lead long and healthy lives, without being a burden on the NHS. There is plenty of advice out there as to how to lead a more healthy life and we are prepared to prescribe weight loss medication where we think that it is appropriate.