Weight issues have been a growing problem in the UK for years and now that we are officially the most obese country in Europe, the government are desperately looking for ways to tackle the growing fat problem.
Remarkably, one of the first problems that has been found by the NHS is that 1 in 4 people with a weight problem do not realise they are overweight. In a country where half the population is now medically overweight, this is understandably a concerning figure. More detailed figures that have recently been released are that 23 per cent of 4 to 5 year olds are now overweight, while 33 per cent of 10 to 11 year olds are also classed as being in a dangerous health position.
Many leading experts and professionals from both health and financial backgrounds have announced warnings that the obesity problem could be a financial ‘ticking time bomb’, costing the government millions a year. If every adult living in Britain who was eligible for weight loss surgery opted for the surgery it would cost the country an intimidating £9.1b, one expert has estimated.
It has also been called for that the government stop treating this as obesity prevention, as now that 62% of Brits are overweight or obese it has moved into a more serious dilemma.
Effective treatments such as surgery will mean the government and tax payer will pay a rather heavy cost, a price that the country cannot afford in the current economic climate. Info on this type of treatment is on www.gastricbands.co.uk. As such, there is no definitive strategy. Currently dietary and exercise programmes are being offered by GPs and the NHS, but even here the NHS is finding problems. The number of nurses, doctors and other frontline staff working for the NHS that are overweight has also made it difficult for these members of staff to confront people about their weight issues, feeling that their own weight issues remove any right they have to advise on healthy eating and living.
This final fact has been a great worry to the NHS and there are now suggestions to encourage NHS staff to seek healthier lifestyles in a hope that improving the health of medical personnel will create healthier role models for their friends, family and patients.