Being Overweight Is Becoming Normal - Report

Being overweight is becoming normal as the majority of our adult population is overweight or obese, according to Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies.

This is according to her latest annual report on the state of the public’s health.

Her concern is based on data showing that – taking into account average height and weight – the average man and woman in England is overweight. This brings with it an increased risk of diabetes, strokes and other health problems. The report highlights studies that show some people who are overweight believe they are ‘about the right weight’.

The Chief Medical Officer's Surveillance report is the first of two volumes of her annual report and is a compendium of data covering a number of public health areas.

Professor Dame Sally Davies said: "I have long been concerned that being underweight is often portrayed as the ideal weight, particularly in the fashion industry.

"Yet I am increasingly concerned that society may be normalising being overweight.

"Larger mannequins are being introduced into clothes shops, 'size inflation' means that clothes with the same size label have become larger in recent decades, and news stories about weight often feature pictures of severely obese people, which are unrepresentative of the majority of overweight people."

The report also reaffirms the CMO’s previous views on added sugar in drinks and alcohol minimum pricing. The report highlights the fact that in children aged 11-18, almost a third of the added sugar in their average diet comes from soft drinks. The CMO calls on manufacturers to reformulate and resize products to use less sugar where possible. She also says that if voluntary efforts fail, then we may need to consider the benefits of regulation such as a 'sugar tax'.

(CVS/CD)