Is obesity really this big of a problem in the UK?

by Robert MacPherson Fri Aug 25, 8:03 AM ET

LONDON (AFP) - Britain is facing an obesity crisis, with fresh government data warning that a nearly one in three adults in England will be dangerously overweight by 2010.


In a report titled "Forecasting Obesity to 2010", the Department of Health anticipated that 12 million adults will be obese -- or too heavy for their height and sex -- within four years.

One in five children, or one million youngsters, will be obese, too, in an epidemic of flab that could see thousands more people suffering from related illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

The excess weight will also put an extra burden on the free-care-for-all National Health Service (NHS), which already spends one billion pounds (1.48 billion euros, 1.88 billion dollars) a year on obesity-related care.

"In the old days, the big health challenges were infectious diseases like typhoid and tuberculosis," said Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt ...

Why do the British attack other countries for being fatties when apparently they have the same problem?
Seen any fat French?

I can't let the irony of one statement in this pass unnoticed:

"The EXCESS WEIGHT will also put an EXTRA BURDEN on the free-care-for-all NHS, which already spends one billion POUNDS a year on obesity-related care."

Anyway, all of Europe is getting fatter. See link:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22...

I think the USA is ahead on obesity rates, but not by much.

Anyway, I don't care, because I'm American, I keep in shape, work out, eat right, and have a really hot body. Eat your hearts out, fatties (on both sides of the pond)!

Love, Jack.

I don't know about the UK, but they say it is in the US.

yes, obesity is a problem. way too many people (kids and adults both) spend all day sitting in front of the tv or computer eating high fat and high calorie foods like chips, ice cream, big macs, etc and then try to blame their weight on genetics instead of admitting that their only problem is sitting on their fat asses all day eating junk food instead of getting some exercise and eating right.

also in usa

Over 60% of British men are over weight....but 40% won't admit to it ;)

Obesity is just as much a problem in France as it is in the UK. Just because you don't hear about it as often, doesn't mean it is not an issue. Except for third world countries, obesity is pretty much a world wide problem, however America is currently leading with 70% of the population being overweight or obese.

What I do find odd is that if 6 in 10 people in the UK are currently overweight or obese, then where the hell are they? I see far more normal sized and skinny people out than noticebly overweight or obese people. If the majority of these figres are regarding people that are only slightly overweight, then I feel this is a gross exaggeration of the obesity epidemic which we apparently face HTH.