Across the world it’s estimated that 1.5billion people are overweight and obesity is a growing issue in the UK, with 62% of Brits currently bigger than they should be.
You may be aware that carrying a few extra pounds isn’t great for your health, but that spare tyre actually spells bad news for 50 different reasons.
If you’re overweight or obese you have a higher-than-average risk of developing 50 health problems including risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, many cancers, arthritis and fertility issues.
A Harvard University study that tracked more than 50,000 men and 120,000 women for a decade found that obesity increased the risk of diabetes by 20 times and significantly boosted the likelihood of a person developing high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and gallstones
Researchers also found that among the overweight and obese participants, there was a direct correlation between BMI and health risks – meaning the wider your waistline, the higher your risk of developing disease.
But the sobering stats don’t stop there. New research, published in the journal Nature, suggests that being overweight actually changes your DNA therefore increasing your childrens' health risks too.
In an exclusive interview with Daily Star Online, NHS expert Dr Sally Norton explained how excess fat can slash your life expectancy.
She said: “A BMI of 30-35 [obese] cuts three years off the average life, while a BMI of over 40 [severely obese] cuts eight to 10 years from your life expectancy – that is the equivalent of a lifetime of smoking.”
According to Dr Sally, an NHS weight loss consultant surgeon and founder of health hub VavistaLife, the biggest culprit when it comes to weight gain is food.
The medic continued: “Poor diet is more responsible than less exercise.
“Too much sugar and processed, calorie-dense foods, sugary drinks and ever-increasing portions. We live in an obesogenic environment – temptations wherever we turn.”
But if you can shift just a little bit of your extra weight, you can make some big improvements to your overall health.
Dr Sally said: “Every extra pound you carry puts an extra 4lbs of weight through your knee joints – no wonder we are seeing an increase in the rate of knee replacements.
“Losing just 5-10% of your excess weight can help your health and lower your risk of diabetes.”
So how can you kick start your slimming mission?
The doctor advised: “Avoid fad diets which just lead to the weight being regained, and more.
“Willpower doesn't work when we are tired and stressed. Instead, make small changes to your overall lifestyle which become habits.
“Move more, eat smaller portions, avoid processed food and sugar wherever possible – and get more sleep as we eat more when we are tired to try to get an energy fix.
"Focus on health not weight, nutrients not calories.”
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