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This article is outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Please see the talk page for more information. (November 2010) |
Obesity in the United Kingdom is a growing health concern with health officials stating that it is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the United Kingdom. According to Forbes, United Kingdom ranks 28 on a 2009 list of fattest countries.[1]
Adult obesity rates have almost quadrupled in the last 25 years, with 22% of Britons now obese.[2] Poor Britons are more likely to be obese than their wealthy fellow citizens.[3] The South-East of England is considered to be the slimmest region in the United Kingdom with an obesity level of 18% which compared to Sweden’s fattest region has 16% of its population obese.[4] Birmingham is considered the European Union’s fattest city. 29% of the adult population are classified as obese while the European average is 14%.[4] A quarter of Birmingham's 11 and 12 year olds are considered obese.[4]
The National Obesity Forum in 2011 cited Denmark's tax on foods containing more than 2.3% saturated fat as an example which must be followed.[5]
[edit] Causes
An unhealthy diet has been cited as a cause of obesity in the United Kingdom.[6] The main reasons for the unhealthy diet is from the amount of pre-prepared food the British people eat, the lack of fruit and vegetables in the British diet and binge drinking culture.[6]
[edit] Effects
British sperm quality has been affected by obesity.[7][8]
[edit] Statistics
[edit] Surveys
Annual survey, conducted by Men's Fitness magazine.
[edit] Within the European Union
The obesity rate of the United Kingdom's adult population is 22% while the average obesity rate in the European Union is 15.5%.[6]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Lauren Streib (February 8, 2007). Forbes "World's Fattest Countries". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/2007/02/07/worlds-fattest-countries-forbeslife-cx_ls_0208worldfat_2.html Forbes. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
- ^ BBC (February 1, 2006). BBC "UK's fattest cities are revealed". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4667826.stm BBC. Retrieved 2006-06-19.
- ^ Abdulrahman El-Sayed (2010-05-11). "Obesity: understanding the UK epidemic". London: BBC. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/may/11/obesity-epidemic-uk-poorest.
- ^ a b c "Birmingham is Obesity Capital of Europe". News West Midland. 15 December 2010. http://newswestmidlands.com/birmingham-is-obesity-capital-of-europe/521474/. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
- ^ Topping, Alexandra (2011-10-02). "Body blow for butter-loving Danes as fat tax kicks in". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/02/denmark-fat-tax-obesity. Retrieved October 05, 2011. "Danes who go shopping today will pay an extra 25p on a pack of butter and 8p on a packet of crisps, as the new tax on foods which contain more than 2.3% saturated fat comes into effect. [...] Tam Fry, spokesman for the National Obesity Forum, said: "It is not a question of whether we should follow the Danes' lead – we have to. If we don't do anything about it, by 2050, 70% of the British population will be obese or overweight and that would result not only in the downfall of the NHS but also of our national workforce.""
- ^ a b c d Freeman, Sarah (14 December 2010). "Obesity still eating away at health of the nation". Yorkshire Post. http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/features/Obesity-still-eating-away-at.6660925.jp. Retrieved 18 December 2010.
- ^ "Germans: UK sperm fails to satisfy". BBC. 4 March 1999. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/290736.stm. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
- ^ "Obesity tied to poorer sperm quality". Reuters. 17 February 2010. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61G55620100217. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
