Obesity is increasing worldwide and is fast becoming the world’s biggest health problem.
Recent reports suggest that it may soon overtake smoking as a serious health risk. The level of obesity in the UK has tripled in the past 30 years. On current estimates, more than half the population could be obese by 2050. The worldwide increase is also spreading to areas of developing countries where there’s easier access to an over-processed diet, over-large food portions and less need to be active in daily lives.
Obesity is caused simply by an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. The average adult needs about 2000kCal/day. Any excess intake over this is stored by the body. Continued excess calories input therefore over time results in obesity.
Headlines in the news recently have highlighted the fact that in the UK, about 66% of adults are now overweight or ‘clinically’ obese (at least 2-3 stone overweight). Of these, 22% of men and 23% of women are obese meaning their weight is putting their health at considerable risk!