Lifestyle plan
Introduction
This lifestyle plan takes a deeper look into the obesity epidemic in the United
Kingdom, how Obesity is affecting people and the challenges obesity can potentially
bring, and changes people with Obesity can implement to improve their quality of
life. This study will also look into the reasons for Obesity such as socioeconomic,
genetic, ethnic and lifestyle choices. The World Health Organisation.,(2017) defines
Obesity as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A
body mass index (BMI) over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese
(World Health Organisation.,2017). Generalised Obesity relates to overall body fat
and is associated with health conditions such as coronary heart disease, cancer and
stroke (Sjostrom.,1997; NICE., 2006). According to fuller et al., (2016) In the UK
(1993), 13% of men and 16% of women were classified as obese (measured by BMI)
compared to 27% of men and 27% of women in 2013. According to the World
Health Organisation (2017), there are around 2 billion adults overweight, and of
those 650 million are considered to be affected by obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m²). The
World Health organisation., (2017) also states that this equates to 39% of men and
40% of women aged 18 or over who were overweight, with 13% being obese.
Childhood obesity is regarded as one of the most serious global public health
,challenges for the 21st century, Data from the Health Survey for England.,(2013)
shows that 29.5% of children aged 2 to 15 years were classed as either overweight
or obese. Obesity also comes with numerous potential health related complications
Kopelman., (2000) states that Obesity is a risk factor for many health problems,
including stroke, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and more. The National
Obesity Observatory.,(2010) explained how obesity often decreased quality of life
through incontinence, obstructive sleep apnoea, mental health problems, infertility,
and musculoskeletal pain as well as other comorbidities. Foresight.,(2008), a
scientific think tank that advises the UK government, predicted that, by the year
2050, 60% of UK men and 50% of UK women will be obese, along with 25% of UK
children if no action is taken. Dent & Swanston.,(2010) estimated that life
expectancy is decreased by approximately three years in the moderately obese and
between eight and ten years in the morbidly obese. In this study, It is also important
to include This massive rise in Obesity over a relatively short period of time has
placed a large burden on the NHS and UK economy. The economic cost of obesity to
the wider economy, such as through a loss of productivity is estimated to be £15.6
billion (Public Health England., 2015). It is also important to note that Sedentary
behaviour is also associated with obesity (Craig & Mindell., 2013). Public Health
England.,(2015) states that Physical inactivity and unhealthy diets are two major
risk factors for Obesity. Other than high sedentary levels and unhealthy diets
research shows there are other complicated explanations for why obesity levels are
so high in the Uk such as socioeconomic. Socioeconomic position is a key
contributor to inequalities in health including obesity. (Nazroo., 2001; Davey Smith
et al., 1998; Harding & Maxwell., 1997; Darlington et al., 2015). Research shows
that genetics can also affect a person's body weight which can relate to obesity.
, The results of large Genome-Wide Association studies, such as Locke et al (2015),
have found links between body weight and mutations in numerous genes (Frenk,
2014).
NHS response/ economic effects
Obesity levels in the UK are constantly rising, creating complicated health and economic-related
implications. Tobias et al.,(2018) stated that People that are obese have a lower life expectancy than those
who are not and the prevalence of diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers are
higher among people who are overweight or obese. As well as people’s physical health, living with
obesity can also have an impact on mental well-being and has been associated with anxiety and
depression (Nigatu et al., 2016). There has been a rapid rise in recent years of admissions of people where
Obesity was either a primary or secondary factor. The NHS found that In 2019/20, there were 1 million
hospital admissions of people with a primary or secondary diagnosis of obesity, an increase of 17 percent
on 2018/19, This figure has nearly doubled over the past five years. The National Health Service.,(2014)
estimated that by 2050, obesity would equate to an NHS cost of £9.7 billion per annum. This resulted in a
public commitment to prioritise and tackle obesity, improve services for those who needed additional
support with weight management and the introduction of preventative public health strategies to reduce
obesity. Recognising the rising levels of physical and mental health implications of obesity, in 2009 the
