Obesity in the United Kingdom: Causes, Symptoms, and Current Status

This report provides an overview of obesity in the United Kingdom, including its causes, symptoms, and current status. It highlights the impact of obesity on health and the measures taken to address this issue. The report also includes statistics on obesity rates in different regions of the UK and the prevalence of obesity in children.

GLOBAL HEALTH &
SUSTAINABILITY

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
lTHE PURPOSE..............................................................................................................................3
A SUMMARY OF THE FACTS....................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMEDATION................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14

·INTRODUCTION
Obesity is a condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent
that it may affect the health of the patient. There are high number of the people in the
UK who are suffering from the disease of obesity. This report has highlighted the
obesity in the United kingdom as this report include a summary which shows the
background about the obesity in the UK. Background highlights the Causes of the
obesity, after that symptoms of the obesity and in the end the diagnosis of the obesity.
After that the report goes on to explain the current status of the obesity in the UK by the
way of explaining the current issue and the solution (Lee and et.al., 2016). After that the
report goes on to explain obesity in the UK with the help of the different stats relat ed to
the same and also explaining the obesity in the different nation of the UK. In the end
the report highlights the different campaign which has been made by the UK to reduce
the level of the obesity in the UK and also the impact which may be seen by the UK due
to that high level of the obesity in the UK.
l壱THE PURPOSE
This paper will undertake the research on the cause of the obesity and the
impact of the same on the life of patient. As number of patient impacted by obesity is
increasing at rapid rate in United Kingdom. This paper may prove as a base for the
National government of the UK in understanding the different aspect of Obesity.
·A SUMMARY OF THE FACTS
·BACKGROUND
Obesity is a condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent
that it may affect the health of the patient. Obesity is generally related to genetic,
psychological, metabolic, neurological and hormonal impairments. Obesity is linked to
the various heart disease, sleep arena and also sometime cancer ( van den Daele,
2017).
Causes

There are many causes which leads to obesity for the patient. Physical
inactivity, is one of the cause which leads to obesity as in the report of National Health
and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) it has been examined that the person who
is Physically Sedentary/ Physically inactive used to burn fewer number of calories as
compare to the people who is Physically active. As a result the percentage of people
who are suffering from the obesity are generally physically inactive. Overeating, is the
another cause of the obesity as the diet of the person is positively linked with the weight
of the patient overeating always leads to the weight gain for the patient. The reason
behind the same has been interpreted that the food which is high in fat or sugar for
example fast food, fried food and sweets used to have a higher number of the calories.
Epidemiologic studies about the diet has shown that food which is high in calories
always contribute to weight gain for the patient.
Also there are many causes of obesity which are not in the control of patient.
Obesity occurring due to the other disease is one of the cause. As diseases such as
hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, polycystic ovary syndrome and Cushing's syndrome
used to contribute toward causing obesity in the patient. Another such type of the factor
is the Genetics, A person is more likely to develop the disease of obesity if any one or
both the parents of the person is suffering from the disease of obesity. The reason
behind the same has been find out is that the deficiency of leptin used to play a very
crucial role in causing the obesity. Leptin is the fat hormone which used to be gained by
the person from the parents (Eraqizade, Hosseini and Roshan, 2015)
Psychological factors are another big cause of the obesity as people eating habits are
generally linked with the emotion of the people. As there are many individuals who used
to eat excessively in response to the emotions such as boredom, sadness, stress, or
anger.
Symptoms
Symptoms are the mental or physical feature which used to indicate the
condition of diseases, particularly such a feature that is apparent to the patient. There
are many symptoms of obesity which are seen by the individual. Breathlessness, is one

of the most common symptoms of obesity as the individual who is suffering from the
obesity disease always find it difficult to breath this is generally known as dyspnea. This
is the condition in which the breathing of the individual is irregular and also sometime it
happens that breathing periodically stops during the sleep (Yigitalp and Baran, 2019).
Trouble in sleeping is another symptom which used to be seen in individual who
is obsessed as individual find it difficult to have a full 7-hour sleep which eventually cuts
down the energy level of the patient and may have an additional medical compliance.
Another symptom of obesity is enlargement of Varicose veins. Varicose veins are
superficial veins which used to be twisted and enlarge at the time of person suffering
from the obesity. This generally occur under the skin of the leg. This sometime cause
the pain or fullness in that area. The reason behind the same is that the over weight of
the individual sometime become difficult for the legs to pull off.
Not only that there are some symptoms of the obesity which used to have the
impact on the health of the individual as well. High blood pressure, is one of such factor
as the person suffering from the obesity generally used to have higher blood pressure.
The reason behind the same is that individual suffering from obesity used to increase
the number of the fatty tissue in body which eventually increases the vascular
resistance, this in turn eventually increases the work of the heart in pumping the blood
throughout the body (Haro and et.al., 2016). Another such symptom is High cholesterol,
as obese tends to increase bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower good cholesterol (HDL).
This generally used to increase the level of the cholesterol in the individual.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is the process of identification of the illness or other problem by the
way of examination of the symptoms. Obesity in the individual is diagnosed by the way
of calculating the BMI of the individual. National institute of health (NIH) used to define
Body Mass Index (BMI) as a relationship between the height and weight of the normal
individual. BMI is a person weight in the kilogram divided by the height in the square
meter (Solomon, 2015). The person which is having the BMI ratting more than 30 used

to be defined as an obesity which means that the weight of the individual is 35 to 40
percent more than the normal weight of the individual.
Other diagnosis tool of obesity is the skin caliper and the Body shape of the
individual. Calipers used to measure the thickness of individual skin on the basis of
which one can uncertain the level of the obesity. Individual which used to gain the
weight around the waist is more likely to be impacted by the disease of obesity. It has
been find out in the report of National institute of health (NIH) that the men who am
having the waist more than 40 and women more than 35 inches (0.89 m) generally are
at a risk of impacted by disease of obesity.
Expected Duration
Obesity is always a lifelong problem. Once the person is obsessed than it gets
difficult for the patient to come out of the situation. Generally, the person suffering from
obesity generally take the step that the disease does not increase in the body after that
they used to take the step to lower it down which sometime takes whole lifetime of the
individual.
·CURRENT STATUS
The Obesity in the United Kingdom is the significant contemporary health concerns with
the authorities stating that it is one of the leading preventable cause of death. As per
the research, in the February 2016, former health is describing rising rate of childhood
obesity as a national emergency.

Illustr
ation 1: Rising overweight
(Source: Obesity overweight, 2017)
The rate of overweight and obesity rates designates prevalence rates. This
create a more chance for death of people in the UK. This is continuously increased
because of overweight people. For example: evidence suggested from the traffic light
system have the potential to increase a number of people selecting a healthier option
by 18% and lead to 4% decrease calorie intake. According to the ten-week experiment,
on food labelling run across different supermarkets in the different countries, April 2017
(Obesity overweight, 2017). In the 2018, healthy eating strategy other country is
launched a public consultation on the new compulsory food labelling logo which will
warn the high sodium, sugar and saturated fat content.
The health survey 2017, estimates that the 28.7% of adults in UK are obese and
another 35.6% are overweight but not obese. This is defined as having a body mass for
30 or above.
Trends over time, between 2006 and 2016, this proportion of adults were either
overweight or obese changed little. As per the survey, returned the highest recorded

level of obesity at 28.6% is annual fluctuation is to be expected since this data comes
from the survey in proper manner by creating various statistics. The current situations is
more likely than women to be overweight or obese. The level of among women are
slightly above from men. These proportions vary by age, as per the collection of charts
shows. This creates a most basic issue for people and country by eating junk food to
people (Obesity among adults, England, 2018). This increase a death chance for
women in respective manner that gives negative impact on country and people life.
Obesity in children, which is shown by national child measurement programme.
That 9% of receptions age children in the UK who are obese in 2017 and 2018 with the
further 12.8% overweight. Those are higher among from last 6 years children with
20.1% being obese and 14.2% are overweight. The living children in deprived areas are
substantially more like obese. Those in the least deprived areas are obese compared
with the 12.4% of those in the most areas. The data is published as a part of world
health organization WHO study in 2018 which is indicated that the 28.7% adults in the
UK were recognized as clinically obese with a body of mass index. The current problem
is in the adults from the overweight and obesity are linked to increase the risk of heart
disease like high blood pressures and certain cancers and other chronic conditions in
proper manner as well as some forms of cancer. In the United Kingdom, obesity and a
BMI of 30 to 35 has been found to reduce life expectancy by an average of three years,
while a BMI of over 40 reduced longevity by eight to 10 years.
·KEY CONSIDERATION
Seeing obesity with the help of the trend and the data will be rather easy way to
understand the impact of the obesity in the nation and the amount of the obesity in the
UK. In the report it has been find out that more than 1 third of the male and 6 out of 10
women in the UK is suffering from the disease of obesity. As the data which has been
provided by the Public Health England identified Barnsley, South Yorkshire it has been
find out that obesity is not only in one nation or the state of the UK it is spread all over
the UK as the data shows that Yorkshire is the state where number of the obesity is
very high with 74.8% of adults (16 years and over) with a BMI greater than 25. Whereas

Taworth is the state which is having the lowest level of the obesity in the state with just
30.7 percent of the adult are suffering from the obesity disease.
Obesity is one of the most growing disease in the whole UK as number of the patient
who are impacted by the disease of the Obesity is growing rapidly as compare to the
past. The reason behind increasing number of the obsessed people in the UK is the
increasing trend toward consuming more fast food in the Nation. As explained in the
above section that the diet of individual used to have the great impact on the level of
the obesity in the Individual. As there is good demand of the fast food in the UK that's
the reason it is proving as one of the big reason increasing the level of the obesity in
the UK. To provide the evidence to the statement it has been find out in the report of
WHO that there is very rapid increase in the Number of the Obesed people in the UK as
the in the year 1993 15 percent of the people in the UK was impacted by the obesity
whereas now there are 28.1 percent of the population of the UK which is impacted by
the disease of obesity. Not only that almost 62 people of the adult in the UK used to
come under the category of the overweight. This sort of the individual used to have the
Body mass index (BMI) over 25 (Guérin, 2015).
Illustration 2: status out of every 1000 adults
(Source: Obesity among adults, England, 2018)

As explained in the above section that there is high level of obesity in the children of
the UK in the current scenario. It has been also found out from the report of WHO is
that the total of the 17 percent of the children in the UK are suffering from the issue of
the Obesity and another 14 percent children are classified as an overweighted in the
UK. In total almost 35 percent of the children in the UK is having the As the trend of the
fast food is high in the children it can be said that the biggest reason behind increasing
obesity in the UK is the increasing trend of the fast food among the teenager or can be
called children. Media report in the British has shown that in the fast food also the food
containing the sugar are the one who is preferred by the consumer in the UK. Sugar
containing dishes is recommended three times the daily recommended limit. Increasing
level of the obesity in the Children of the UK is giving birth to the number of the
question for the nation to answer as children are the future of the nation and that
number of obesity in them will eventually affect the economy of the UK (da Silva and
2015). As a result government of the UK has taken the variety of the decision in the UK
so that the level of the obesity can be decrease in the children. As in the current
situation of the UK the government of the UK is supporting the consumption of more
healthy food in the UK.
Another cause of the obesity in the people of the UK is the amount of the Physical
activity which is performed by the teenager in the UK. In the recent report it has been
found out that the people of the UK is less involved in the physical activity as compare
to the past. That's the reason the UK is seeing the high level of the obesity in the
people of the nation. The reason behind the same has been identified is the rapidly
changing trend in the nation which is looking toward more technological gadget and
also toward the uses of the social media platform. This can be better understand with
the stats that “46% of 11-year-old, 51% of 12-year-old and 28% of 10-year-old now
have a social media profile”. This data explain that the children in the UK and also
people of the UK are heavily influenced with the social media platform which is
eventually decreasing the amounts of the physical activity which is performed by the
people of the UK. As explained in the above section also that the person who is
Physically Sedentary/ Physically inactive used to burn fewer number of calories as

compare to the people who is Physically active. Government of the UK is also taking
the variety of the step to over come the issue of the physically inactive factor in today's
scenario but it is getting difficult to improve the same as it is the people of the nation
who has to take the step in the nation to improve the same. Government of the UK is
trying to improve the structure of the fitness of the student at the school level as with
the help of organizing different regional level tournament in the UK .(Dumitrescu and
et.al., 2017).
Another reason which is increasing the level of the obesity in the people of the UK in
the current scenario is the increasing number of the patient who is suffering from the
depression as in the rapidly changing environment the amount of the competitiveness
has been increased as a result the workload of the people has also been increased as
compare to the past as a result it has been find out that heavy workload used to
increase the level of the depression in the human being of the nation and this is proving
as one of the biggest reason of increasing obesity in the UK.
When seeing the data or the stats related to the obesity in the UK in different gender
it has been find out that the obesity in the women is more than the men as the data
shows that 30 percent of the women in the UK is suffering from the disease of obesity
whereas only 27 percent of the men are suffering from the obesity in the UK. The
reason behind the same is found that the fatty tissue used to developed very fast in the
female as compare to the female and also at the same time it has been also find out
that there is absence of leptin in the women which is the reason there is that high
degree of obesity in the women as compare to the men.
·OPTIONS
There are many measures and the strategy which has been used by the
government of the UK to decrease the level of the obesity in the people of the UK as
the rate at which the obesity is increases in the UK it can have the very great impact on
the Future of the UK.
Government of the UK is taking the different step and developing the strategy in
the nation to prevent the teenage from consuming the fast food in the UK. For the sake

of the same government of the UK is taking the help of the different advertisement
platform at which they are promoting the bad food which need to be overlooked by the
children in the nation. Not only that, at the same the government of the UK is also
promoting the healthy food and drink which may be consumed by the people in the
nation which will help them in improving the level of the fitness and will also not affect
their health. Not only that the UK government has also taken the step to educate the
student at the primary level itself the benefit of having the balance diet as it has been
find out that all the school in the UK are informed to educate all the children at the
starting stage itself about what does a balance diet need to be for being healthy
throughout the life.
Another step which has been taken by the government to reduce the level of the
obesity in the children of the UK by starting the campaign in the year 2005, which is
started with the sole motive of reducing the choice of unhealthy food in children and
driving them toward eating lower calorie nutritious food instead. This campaign was
started by the Jamie Oliver. In this campaign the oliver has taken the step to improve
the quality of the meal which used to be given to the children in the school. Oliver has
make sure that all the school in the nation used to include the healthy food in the meal
which is offered by the Schools of nation (Haro and et.al., 2016).
There are many sorts of the impact which will be seen by the UK due to
increasing number of the obesity in the nation. Human resource deficiency, It is one of
the biggest issue which will be faced by the nation of the UK if obesity will rise in the
same way as the level of the fitness of the human resources will adversely affected in
the nation. As human resource used to play a very crucial role in the development of
any economic it is very important to perceive and safe the human resource for the
future as they are the one who used to carry out all the operation of the nation. As a
result there are many steps which are taken by the nation of the UK to improve the
level of the health in the UK. As a result government has made the different
employment law in the UK which also include providing the training to all the employee
in the organization regarding improving the level of the fitness this will eventually help

the government of the country in seeing fitter man power in the nation as compare to
the past.
Increasing obesity in the nation will also increase the number of the health issue
in the nation which will eventually promote the wrong structure of the nation at the
global map and also nation has to invest heavily in the medication of the nation which
will eventually increase the finance requirement for the nation which used to bring the
negative impact on the economy of the UK.
When it comes on looking at the Worldwide obesity it has been seen that obesity
nearly tripled. Till the year 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were
overweight throughout the world. Almost 39% of adults who are aged 18 years and
over were overweight in 2016, and 13% were obese.
·CONCLUSION AND RECOMMEDATION
After going through the above report it has been summarized that obesity used to affect
the life of the individual very badly some of common cause of obesity are the diet and
the physically inactive as it has been find out that these are the two factor which are
generally overlooked by all the people in the today's world. It has been find out that
there are many factors which also causes the obesity but this factor is not in the control
of the people. After that the report summarized the different symptoms of the obesity in
the people of the UK. It has been found out that short breath and also the lack of sleep
and enthusiasm. After that the report summarized that BMI is the best way through
which one can easily diagnosed the obesity in the people of the UK. After that the
report summarized that obesity in the UK used to create the variety of the issue for the
nation in the current scenario as the number of the people suffering in the UK with the
diseases of obesity is too high as compare to the other nation. After that the report
summarized the different data and the stats which explains that obesity is high in the
Female as compare to the male and it has been also analysed that the number of the
people who are suffering from the obesity are generally in the person who is physically
inactive. In the end the report summarized the different measure which are taken to
reduce the impact of the obesity and also different impact which can be brought by that
high level of the obesity in the UK.

After going through the different aspect, it has been recommended that to maintain the
proper amount of the weight patient has to make sure that they consume the food
which can be digested by them very easily and also has to make sure that they
consume the food in two to three-time interval.
Also it has been recommended that they engage themselves in the different physical
activity so that it will help them in burning the calories, this will eventually help them in
getting the rid of the overweight.

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