The Minster Practice, Lichfield

Obesity

Updated 18/08/2006

1 in 5 adults is obese.

21% of men and 36% of women are currently trying to lose weight but the number of obese is growing faster than ever.

Many obese patients do not raise the issue of weight with their doctor or nurse for fear of being blamed for their problem.

In the obese, the risk of various conditions is multiplied:

Risk of type 2 diabetes: 27 x in women & 7 x in men
    High blood pressure: 4.2 x in women & 2.6 x in men
    Heart attacks: 3.2 x in women & 1.5 x in men
    High cholesterol: 1.88 x in both sexes
    Stroke: 1.3 x in both sexes

Benefits of just 10kg (1½ stone) weight loss when overweight

	20% fall in total mortality
	30% fall in diabetes-related deaths
	40% fall in obesity-related cancer deaths
	Blood pressure: Fall of 10mmHg systolic and 20mmHg diastolic
	Diabetes: fall of 50% in fasting glucose
	Lipids: Fall of 10% total cholesterol, fall of 15% bad cholesterol, fall of 30% triglycerides, rise of 8% good cholesterol

Obesity kills over 30,000 a year

Source: Daily Mail Date: 04/02/2004
Health secretary John Reid has warned that more than 30,000 lives are being lost each year due to weight-related illnesses. Dr Reid has launched a national consultation on public health. He says: 'The cost of obesity to the Health Service is estimated to be ₤500 million a year. Most alarmingly, over a third of children are overweight or obese, and there are increases in cases of Type II diabetes in children.' Government ministers are also aiming to tackle soaring rates of sexually transmitted diseases and persuade smokers to give up their unhealthy habit. Dr Reid added: 'There are worrying trends in preventable conditions like obesity and sexually transmitted infections.'

Heart risk is in waist size not weight

Source: Daily Mail Date: 04/02/2004
Waist size, and not general obesity is the proper indicator of heart trouble, according to new research. Experts are querying the use of the Body Mass Index (BMI) to measure coronary risk after overweight patients were found to have higher survival rates than people of normal weight. Weight experts want waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio, which indicates levels of abdominal fat, adopted as a more accurate guide, as the BMI fails to identify if excess weight is muscle rather than fat. Research from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester pooled data from 40 studies involving 250,000 victims of heart disease, finding that severely obese patients had a higher risk of heart-related death, but also that overweight patients, as defined by BMI scores, had better survival and fewer heart problems than those with a normal BMI. An international study in 52 countries found that waist-to-hip ratio was the most reliable predictor of heart attack risk. As a rough guide to healthy waist circumference, doctors regard over 40 inches for a man and 35 for a woman as danger signs. Judy O'Sullivan of the British Heart Foundation, said: 'The most important thing to consider is your body shape and weight. Eating less and being more active is an effective way of improving your heart health'.

Clinical information

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