Brits struggle to shed Christmas pounds
Tuesday February 8th, 2011
The British over-indulged at Christmas - and have failed to shed the weight afterwards, according to a pioneering new survey.
More
than a million people put on so much weight they became classified as
overweight or obese for the first time, according to the new UK Obesity
Barometer.
The National Obesity Forum challenged Britons to shed the excess weight in the next few months.
The Forum says it plans to track the nation's girth region by region throughout 2011 using the barometer.
Chair Dr David Haslam said: "We all know obesity rates are rising so we are pleased to support the LighterLife UK Obesity Barometer as a way of tracking obesity levels and raising awareness in the UK.
"People often put on weight at Christmas time, however it will be interesting to see how many can shift the excess pounds in the next few weeks and months."
"For those who have a body mass index of 25 or more, they are at increased risk of health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, so it's important that the weight gained is lost. The barometer will prove invaluable to track the weight of the nation at both a regional and national level."
* Another study reported today warns people not to blame their genes for their length of life.
A Swedish study rejects the idea that having long-living parents is a good guarantee of living to a ripe old age.
The findings, reported in the Journal of Internal Medicine, come from a study of men born in 1913 - one third of the men in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1963.
Not smoking, drinking coffee in moderation and being fit and successful in life in the early 50s are all linked to living to 90, researchers say.
Researcher Lars Wilhelmsen, of Gothenburg University, Sweden, said: "We’re breaking new ground here. Many of these factors have previously been identified as playing a role in cardiovascular disease, but here we are showing for the first time that they are important for survival in general.
"The study clearly shows that we can influence several of the factors that decide how old we get. This is positive not only for the individual, but also for society as it doesn’t entail any major drug costs."
Journal of Internal Medicine DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2796.2010.02331.x
Tags: Diet & Food | Europe | General Health | UK News
Printer friendly page