Government issues obesity warning

Nearly a third of men will be obese by 2010, along with more than 12 million adults overall and one million children, if lifestyle changes are not made, the Department of Health has warned.

The warning followed the publication of a report which predicted the levels of obesity in England should current trends continue without any intervention.

The 'Forecasting Obesity to 2010' report said that girls would overtake boys in the obesity stakes, with nearly 1 in 5 girls aged 2 - 10 expected to be obese in 2010.

Nearly a third of men were predicted to be obese by 2010, with figures increasing from 4.3 million in 2003 to 6.7 million in 2010.

Commenting on the report, Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt said: "In the old days, the big health challenges were infectious diseases like typhoid and TB, but these days, our health depends much more on what we do for ourselves than on what the NHS does for us. That's why each of us needs to think about how we can lead healthier lives.

"It might be as simple as cutting down on the number of takeaways we eat, saying no to that extra pint of beer, getting off the bus one stop earlier or walking our children to school - all small changes that can make big differences.

"People need to want to change their lifestyles and take responsibility for their health - before they face problems in later life such as coronary heart disease, type two diabetes or cancer."

The government has set a target to halt the year-on-year increase in obesity among children under the age of 11 by 2010.

The Health Secretary said: "With children heading back to school - these statistics should give parents food for thought on how to make their kids' lifestyles healthier. It's about thinking of what's in their packed lunches, educating them to choose the healthy option on their school dinner menu and encouraging them to play outside instead of on their computers.

"We are intervening and helping to make a difference, but we want today's figures to act as a stark reminder of the problem we and our children will face if we don't act now and start making healthier lifestyle choices."

Earlier this week, the government named Caroline Flint as 'minister for fitness' in order to encourage the British public to give up 'couch potato' lifestyles.

However, the move was dismissed as "woeful" by Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley. He said: "After nine years. the sum total of the government's effort is to suggest joined-up initiatives across departments. The focus should be on shared responsibility. It would be much better to have some evidence-based initiatives working with the government, individuals and communities to make an impact."

(KMcA)