Lifestyle factors include:

Lifestyle and Health A person’s lifestyle is believed to have a significant

effect on their health.

Energy

Energy

imbalance

imbalance

The main causes of rising obesity levels are poor diet and lack of exercise

High fat content – we eat 50% more fat than in 1960. Fat contains twice the calories of protein and carbohydrate.

Energy expenditure amongst children has decreased by 800 calories a day since the 1950s.

So, not only is the population getting fatter, but it is getting fatter younger

Obesity is calculated by a person’s body mass index – BMI –

weight in kg divided by height in m2

BMI > 25 = overweight

BMI = weight in kg

height in m2

BMI > 30 = obese

Diet

ObesityInternational Comparison (OECD, 2005)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70Pe

rcen

tage

USA

Belg

iun UK

Denm

ark Ita

ly

Germ

any

Fran

ce

% Obese

% Overweight

Obesity in the UK

During last 25 years, the rate of obesity in adults has quadrupled in the UK.

In England, 43% of men and 34% of women were classified as overweight and 22% of men and 23 % of women were classified as clinically obese.

This means that over half of all adults weigh more than their recommended weight.

(OECD 2005)

Children and Obesity(

Proportion of obesity in children and adolescents aged 2-19 by sex 1996-2000

0

2

4

6

8

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Year

Per

cen

tag

e

% of Boys

% of Girls

(www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ 2005)

Link between dietand ill health

Link between diet and ill health

Obesity can lead to a variety of health problems.

These include:

•high blood pressure

•coronary heart disease

•osteoarthritis

•diabetes

A National Audit Office Study from 2002 estimated that obesity cost the NHS £500 million a year and the cost to the country overall has been put at up to £7.4 billion per annum.

1998, news report in the Herald newspaper described the increase in the number of diabetes cases caused by bad diet as ‘’the diabetes time bomb’

Between now and 2010, the number of Type 11 diabetes sufferers will increase from 1 to 3 million.

– Too many cakes and biscuits.

– Fizzy drinks

– Fatty diet

– Not enough exercise

‘’‘’Diabetes could bankrupt the NHS’’Diabetes could bankrupt the NHS’’

Causes

1998 news report in the Herald newspaper described the increase in the number of diabetes cases caused by bad diet as ‘’the diabetes time bomb’.

Between now and 2010, the number of Type II diabetes sufferers will increase from 1 to 3 million.

– Too many cakes and biscuits

– Fizzy drinks

– Fatty diet

– Not enough exercise

‘’‘’Diabetes could bankrupt the NHS’’.Diabetes could bankrupt the NHS’’.

Fast Food Industry

Fast Food Industry

is the fastest growing

is the fastest growing

area of food

area of food

retailing and is

retailing and is

worth £3b a year

worth £3b a year

in sales.in sales.

More females are obese than males.

In females, obesity levels are increasing amongst the less well off but remain the same for the better off.In males, obesity levels are increasing amongst both socio-economic groups.

Obesity is a gender issue (Report of the Measuring

Inequalities in Health Working Group (Scotland), November 2003)

Obesity levels are higher the lower the social class.

Social class I – 10% are obese.

Obesity levels in the lowest social class are similar to those in the

USA.

Social class IV – 20% are obese

Social class V – 25% are obese.

Obesity is also a class issue (Report of the

Measuring Inequalities in Health Working Group (Scotland), November 2003)

Most affluent group: No daily

fruit

Females: 31%

Males: 45%

Least affluent group: No daily

fruit

Females: 55%

Males: 69%

Differences in diet between social classes and genders

Graphs show that: The percentage of people in the least affluent group who do not eat

fresh fruit on a daily basis is much higher than in the more affluent group.

Consumption of fruit and vegetables is higher amongst females in both groups.

Consumption of fruit and vegetables on a daily basis has increased generally but the increase has been higher in the more affluent group.

Males in the least affluent group have made little progress.

Most affluent group who do not eat fruit

daily

Females: 31%

Males: 45%

Least affluent group who do not eat fruit

daily Females: 55%

Males: 69%

Condition A B C1 C2 D E

Heart 67 90 77 95 117 134

Respiratory 56 58 64 71 80 102

Digestive 30 34 32 42 53 70

Musculoskeletal 98 132 141 163 187 235

Incidence of Chronic Illness by Social Class Incidence of Chronic Illness by Social Class

(per 10,000 of population) 1999(per 10,000 of population) 1999

Income decreasesIncome decreases

Link between diet, social classand ill health (Report of the Measuring Inequalities in Health Working Group (Scotland), November 2003)

the highest rates of mortality in the Western world

the highest morbidity rates from coronary heart disease, cancer and stroke

poor dental record.

The James Report

In 1993, a Government Working Party produced the ‘James Report’ on Scotland’s diet.

The Report confirmed Scotland’s poor eating habits and identified it as one of the main causes of Scotland’s poor health record. Poor diet was the reason why Scotland had:

1 in 8 children in Scotland are officially overweight.

Scottish boys are the fattest in Europe.

Almost 100% ate sweets every day.

75% ate crisps and fizzy drinks as snacks every day.

24% of 15 year olds in the West of Scotland eat 4 or more snacks a day.

28% of adults eat fresh fruit and 20% eat fresh vegetables once a week or less.

17% of adults in the district of Renfrew eat less than one full meal a day.

Scotland - the facts!

The average Scottish diet is:

deficient in fibre and certain vitamins

contains too much sugar

contains too much salt

contains too much saturated fat.

deficient in fruit and vegetables

The James Report

3-4 portions offruit and vegetables

per day

75% should eat fishtwice a week and

meat less than twicea week

Cereals, granarybread twice a day

Most shouldconsume semi-skimmed milk

Sweets and cakeconsumption

shouldbe reduced

Disadvantaged should

be helped tofollow a good

diet

The James ReportRecommendations

Ban food advertson children’s TV

Minimum age atwhich children

can leave school atlunchtime

Stop sale of sweets,salty snacks, fizzydrinks in schools

No junkfood outletsnear schools

Scandinavia has already banned food adverts on children’s TV.

Arguments: limits choice?‘Nanny state’ gone mad?

More controversial More controversial recommendationsrecommendations

The James ReportRecommendations

Benefits to Health ofRegular Exercise

25% of strokes could be avoided and there could be a

20% reduction in mortality after a heart attack, if regular exercise was taken

Yet, according to a Scottish Yet, according to a Scottish Health Survey (‘’Working Towards Health Survey (‘’Working Towards a Healthier Scotland, 1999’’)a Healthier Scotland, 1999’’)

62% of women53% of men

do not get enough regular exercise do not get enough regular exercise andand

26% of women 23% of men

do not get any regular exercise.do not get any regular exercise.

55-64

0 25 50 75

16-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

65-74

PercentagePercentageAge groupAge group

Percentage of peopletaking NO exercise ((‘’Working Towards a Healthier Scotland, (‘’Working Towards a Healthier Scotland, 1999’’)1999’’)

by age

32%32%

33%33%

35%35%

43%43%

0 25 50

AB

C1

C2

DE

42%42%

30%30%

Women

Men

0 25

Percentage of peopletaking NO exercise (‘’Working Towards a Healthier Scotland, 1999’’)‘’Working Towards a Healthier Scotland, 1999’’)

by social classby social class

by genderby gender