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UK Set for Obesity Epidemic
Cheap fatty foods and lack of exercise are set to turn the UK into an obese nation by 2050, new government research suggests.
The two year study by the government think-tank Foresight, argues that our basic biological instincts combined with the technological revolution of the 20th century has led to weight gain becoming inevitable for most people, because our bodies and biological make-up are out of step with our surroundings.
The majority of UK adults today are overweight, while being overweight is also becoming normalised, claims the study.
Stocking up on food was key to survival in prehistoric times, but now with energy dense, cheap foods, labour-saving devices, motorised transport and sedentary work, obesity is rapidly becoming a consequence of modern life.
The study suggests consumer purchasing patterns need to shift to favour healthier options and everyday activities such as walking or cycling need to be increased, through the design of the built environment and transport systems.
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Foresight’s diverse evidence shows that only a comprehensive long term strategy will have an impact on the rising trends of obesity. The study claims it will take around 30 years to reverse the problem of obesity.
The Foresight study includes a unique quantitative model to look at obesity patterns as far ahead as 2050, which suggests that if current levels continue about 60% of men, 50% of women and 25% of children in the UK will be obese.
Foresight believes we must fight the notion that the current obesity epidemic arises from individual over-indulgence or laziness.
“There is no single solution to tackle obesity. We will only succeed if the problem is recognised, owned and addressed at every level and every part of society,” says Dawn Primarolo, Public Health Minister.
Primarolo and Foresight are particularly interested with decreasing the number of obese children in Britain. By enabling children to achieve and maintain a healthy weight Foresight hopes to decrease obesity in children by 2020.
“We have made progress with improved physical activity levels at school, healthier school food for children, clearer food labelling and tougher restrictions on advertising foods high in fat and sugar to children - but we know that we need to go further and faster.”
The development of obesity is a much more passive phenomenon than is often assumed. People need to use active coping strategies, day-in day-out, to prevent weight gain.
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