A new report published today supported by the UK government has revealed that individuals should not be held responsible for problems. The news comes just days after the UK health secretary warned that the problem of is ‘as bad as climate risk’.

The announcement was made after details from a government study emerged suggesting more than half of the UK population could be medically obese by the year 2050, if the current rising trend of continues as predicted.

“Largest UK study into obesity”
The report is the largest ever into within the United Kingdom and provides shocking news of the economic and social impact the condition is set to have. In the year 2002, those overweight or obese cost the UK economy almost £7billion ($14billion) combining benefits, treatment, reduced efficiency and loss of earnings.
The study predicts this figure to rise to £46billion by the year 2050 and health services are going to struggle with the extra strain placed by overweight individuals. Being over-weight can lead to a range of health problems such as an increased chance of strokes, coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
The predictions from the study for the year 2050 report are that if current

trends continue, a shocking 60% of men and 50% of women in the UK will be clinically obese, with a BMI of 30+.

Weight-loss solutions

Whilst a miracle slimming diet or medicine is far from a reality, there have been a number of medications that have taken the weight-loss industry by storm. Most noticeably is the medication Acomplia from pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc, which had been hailed by many as a blockbuster drug.

Acomplia, which contains the active ingredient Rimonabant, works by reducing the appetite of users helping to promote significant weight loss, especially when combined with a strict diet and exercise plan.

Weight loss drugs such as Acomplia and also Xenical may provide a viable solution to obesity; however they are not medications currently available on the NHS for UK patients and may not be suitable for everyone, including those who are only mildly overweight according to their BMI.

How is measured?

The body mass index scale, more commonly know as the BMI scale, has become the medical standard used to measure levels of in individuals used by most health professionals and researchers.

BMI is calculated based on height and height, and is found by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. A normal weight range would provide a BMI level of 18.5 - 24.9, with overweight individuals scoring 25-29.9 and obese defined as 30.0 and above.
Sir David King, the UK government’s chief scientific adviser and author of the report, stated “there is a danger that the moment to act radically and dramatically will be missed.” A combination of convenience and cheap energy-dense foods, along with less manual jobs and more motorized transport has lead to an inevitable increase in obesity.

“It is a problem that is going to get worse every year.”

The report helps to shift a proportion of the blame from the individual to society itself and suggests that action must be taken now to prevent Britain from “sleepwalking” into a crisis.