Obesity Epidemic in the United Kingdom

Obesity in the UK is proving to be a huge strain on the NHS, as individuals tend to have multiple comorbidities associated with being overweight. Bariatric surgery has been found to be an effective way of managing the financial strain by reducing the incidence of comorbidities in individuals’ post-surgical weight loss. Factors such as Human Rights Law, the NHS constitution and the Bioethical principals for good practice point to the benefits for all morbidly obese patients to be provided with bariatric surgery, however there are further opinions to suggest this is only treating the symptom and not the cause.

Obesity is an increasing issue in modern society. It has been deemed an ‘epidemic in the developed world’ and statistics (from Public Health England) show obesity in the United Kingdom has been on the rise for many years, with currently 61.9% of men and women being obese or overweight. In England alone, 1 in 4 adults (age 16 years or over) are currently obese – (25.6%) - placing more than half the adult population overweight or obese (HSE, 2014). This growing problem in developed countries is responsible for thousands of deaths each year due to a number of contributory factors.

“I couldn't open up a magazine, you couldn't read a newspaper, you couldn't turn on the TV without hearing about the obesity epidemic in America.” is a quote by Morgan Spurlock, that acutely describes the obesity problem going on in America. Any way one can want to talk about the problem, it will always be a huge dilemma throughout the United States. For a long time now, people have been discussing who is to blame for the obesity crisis going on. Some people prefer to blame the government, several blame the restaurants, others the parents and even the schools receive criticism for obesity. People should develop their own ideas on the obesity crisis and to figure out who is to blame and how to fix the problem.

For years cartoons have depicted obese kids rolling down streets, however, this may become an unfortunate truth. The issue of the obesity epidemic in America has become an enormous issue. Obesity, which is the accurate term to describe being above overweight on the body mass index (bmi), is an epidemic with many causes that can have staggering effects. Industries have found ways to market their food products in order to gain money, uncaring of the trouble and harm they may be causing to others. The obesity epidemic has become a very controversial political topic being discussed nationwide. Despite how bad things have gotten there are ways to fix this broken country.

The media article ‘Shocking Statistics That Illustrate Australia’s Obesity Problem’ written by Leigh Campbell in the Huffington Post Australia Newspaper on February the 24th 2016 will be discussed throughout the report (Campbell, 2016). The newspaper article focuses on the alarming increase in numbers of obese individuals in Australia and the many health issues associated.

They argue that many public health campaigns have made the problem of obesity worse by minimizing how difficult it is for individuals to lose weight. This book challenges governments to abandon top-down planning solutions in favor of bottom-up innovations to confront the obesity crisis. From XXL, the section that speaks of all the risk involved with being obese is the perspective used in this report. It recalls various facts helpful to readers so they can understands what is behind the struggles of obesity. These facts include the approximate death a year in the United States, the various illnesses and disabilities of obesity, how bullying affects the obese individual, etc. XXL is a great source of information for anyone looking to research

The obesity epidemic in the U.S. and other developed countries is introducing greater risk for many causes of preventable death (e.g. heart disease, type 2 diabetes) and harming the quality of life for those affected. Many factors contribute to the rising rates of obesity, though some are implicating food-marketing techniques more directly (Miller, 2008). This study is part of a line of research that intends to understand how food advertising and marketing can be altered to make healthy eating decisions easier. One of the main ideas uniting this line of research is that when we are confronted with food, which we need to survive, it triggers primary biological motivations to approach and consume. Several factors about food, however, may

A survey conducted by the CDC, that was composed of 1.5 million people, showed that there was a 50% increase of Americans who were 100+ lbs more overweight from the year 2000 to 2005. With obesity now being considered an “epidemic” in the U.S, the chances of increasing the risk of diseases such as high blood pressure, type II diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, and osteoarthritis are through the roof. Because obesity is becoming an “epidemic,” it can also be found in all age groups, race, and education levels (Budrys, 2010, pp 93). Using the Body Mass Index (BMI), that measures body fat based on weight (in kilograms) divided by height (in meter squared) and is given in a percentage, is a way of calculating if the body fat is in an underweight (<18.5), healthy weight (18.5-24.9), overweight (25-29.9), obese I (mildly: 30-34.9), obese II (moderately: 35-39.9), obese III (morbidly: ≥40). The BMI signifies where our weight is compared to the ‘ideal’ weight based on our height.

In our society today we have a lot of large scale epidemics, ones that are always the front runners for debate and argument, ones that can we viewed in so many different lights it’s hard to really tell the true origin of its cause. One such epidemic is obesity, wildly debated and argued its true cause of combination of causes are researched to this day. Having done conclusive research on the topic to try and find the best fit answer I came across 2 hand in hand causes that are in the driver seat for obesity and its rise. Over easting in combination with unchanging levels of exercise are the root of this obesity epidemic one that stems for a culture deep rooted in its ways, unable to really escape its self.

Over the course of this semester we have stated time and again that the current Obesity epidemic represents a worldwide healthcare crisis. We have explored all the possible triggers of the increasing rise of obesity cases amongst children and adults of both developed and undeveloped countries. Ultimately, the prominent bearers of responsibility are governments, the food industry and the obese patients themselves. The question now is not who to blame, but who to look to for solutions. In this final assignment I will explore what are the relative roles of government, industry, and individuals responsibility in meeting the obesity epidemic? and, To what extent is this problem and its putative solution(s) similar to that of other global problems.

Obesity is an emerging problem around the world and specifically a rising problem in adolescence. Multiple factors can cause obesity, such as poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, genetic factors, and environmental influences. Obesity in most cases is preventable and schools can help solve the obesity problem by implementing health education and showing the importance of physical education.

The rates of obesity have been increasing dramatically as the new generation emerged. Typically, the incline in the fast food industry has centered in the United States by extreme use of social media and technologies. Much “faster” foods are made for those who are in rush and they are considered convenient while satisfying one’s appetite. Nowadays, the advanced technology such like “Tapingo” is used to order food much faster rather than waiting in line to get fast food. However, obtaining fast food “faster” doesn’t result on any of the good side. Hence, the advance in convenience has shown its incline in the risk of obesity. The epidemic of obesity has become such controversial topic over many countries due to its unstoppable rise in the invention

Did you know that two- thirds of adults and one-thirds of children in the United States are obese or overweight? (USA Today) According to Webster, obesity is defined as condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body. Body Mass Index (BMI) person weight in kilogram divided by the square of a person’s height in meters. I view obesity as a life style disease that does not discriminate. Obesity is more prevalent today due to inactivity and poor eating habits. No one has to remain obese; with proper diet, exercise and life style changes the weight will come off and stay off. I am speaking from experience; I suffered from obesity at a very young age and it carried over into my adult life.

ITV NEWS (2016), claims "The UK is the second most obese countries in Europe." It 's predicted that in the year 20130, the number of overweight in men is going to rise to 74%, 64% in women and the proportion of obese people would be 36% in men and 33% in women. Presently, diabetes cost over £ 1.5 million per hour or £25,000 pounds a minute, which predicted to reach to £4 million by 2025. An increase in the proportion of obesity is not just a rise in diseases, but it is also going to worsen the economy. This essay intends to analyse causes and which society sectors should be taking the responsibility to help reduce the number of obesity.

This study is based on a newspaper article about obesity and how the National Health Service (NHS) will offer free cookery classes in war on the obesity crisis to overweight and obese families as well as doctors and nurses (Donnelly, 2015). The World Health Organisation (2015) has classed obesity as a worldwide epidemic that has seen numbers double since the 1980’s. The WHO (2015) define obesity as an individual having a Body Mass Index equal or higher than 30 and has been linked to non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, muscoskeletal and some cancers.