Half of British population obese says report

More than half the adult British population is now overweight or obese and getting fatter, say leading British doctors.

The alarming statistic comes from a recent report on obesity drugs by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP).

The RCP's third report on obesity drugs says that in 1980, 6 per cent of men and 8 per cent of women were classed as obese. Twenty years later, obesity in adults had soared to 21 per cent in men and 21.4 per cent in women, with 55 per cent of the population either overweight or obese.

Doctors blame changes in lifestyle for the rise. People are now eating more fatty foods and they are also exercising less.

They have warned of a huge rise in obesity-related diseases, including diabetes and heart disease, unless people start to lose weight. Over 30,000 deaths a year are caused by obesity in England alone.

The report advises doctors that to lose weight effectively, patients need to make changes to their diet and take more exercise as well.

"We need to improve training for doctors on dealing with obesity," said Professor Peter Kopelman, chairman of the RCP nutrition committee.

In addition the report points to the growing trend of more and more patients being prescribed anti-obesity drugs in an attempt to tackle the problem.

The report suggests that patients should be taken off the drugs if they fail to lose enough weight and should not be seen as a "quick fix".

Instead the RCP guidelines suggest that doctors should require patients to diet and exercise for three months before they are offered the drugs.

The World Health Organisation launched a report this week on diet and chronic diseases. It says a diet low in sugar, salt and saturated fat but high in fruit and vegetables, together with physical exercise, "will have a major impact in combating death and disease".

(AMcE)