OVERVIEW OF THE OBESITY CRISIS

OVERVIEW OF THE OBESITY CRISIS A worldwide phenomenon Affects all nationalities, ages, both genders Unlike deadly diseases of the past, a disease of affluence A contributor to disease and premature death

DEFINITIONS OF OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY Body Mass Index (BMI) = mass(kg)/(height(m) 2 Weight categories underweight BMI < 18.5 normal (healthy) weight BMI 18.5 – 25 overweight BMI 25 – 30 obese BMI > 30 severely obeseBMI > 35 morbidly obeseBMI > 40

AN EXAMPLE OF MORBID OBESITY BMI 47kg/m 2 wt 146 kg (322 lb), ht 1.77m (5ft 10in) (Wikipedia commons)

TRENDS IN OBESITY Between 1980 and 2009 obesity in the UK increased from 7% to 26%. Government figures predict a 50% rate by The same upward trends for men, women and children Similar forecasts for incidence of overweight.

HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF OBESITY Cardiovascular diseases (mainly heart disease and stroke) Musculoskeletal disorders (especially osteoarthritis) Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon) Type 2 diabetes and complications – the most problematic Obese children usually become obese adults

CONSEQUENCES OF TYPE 2 DIABETES Heart attack and stroke Retinal damage and blindness Kidney failure Circulation problems leading to limb amputation Higher mortality rate than breast and colon cancer combined Huge escalation in healthcare costs

HEALTHCARE COSTS OF TYPE 2 DIABETES Current direct costs of type 2 diabetes £8.8b Current indirect costs (death and illness, informal care) £13b Projected figures for 2035 £15.1b and £20.5b

THE DIABETES EPIDEMIC Estimated cases for 2010 worldwide 285m, rising to 485m by 2030 UK has 2.7m diagnosed, projected >4m in ,000 diagnosedin 2008 (compare with 41,000 lung cancer cases). 90% diabetes cases are Type 2, late onset. Type 2 diabetes is closely linked to lifestyle