1. Obesity

2. Definition An excess of body fat which is greater than 20% The most common method of measuring obesity is calculating an individual’s Body Mass Index (BMI). This is calculated by dividing a person’s weight measurement (in kilograms) by the square of their height (in metres)

3. Latest UK figures (2010) 62.8% of adults (aged 16 or over) were overweight or obese 30.3% of children (aged 2-15) were overweight or obese 26.1% of all adults and 16% of all children were obese

4. Predictions A report, published in October 2007, predicted that if no action was taken: 60% of men, 50% of women and 25% of children in Britain would be obese by 2050. Without action 41-48% of men and 35-43% of women could be obese by 2030.

5. Dangers Obesity can have a severe impact on people’s health, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and heart and liver disease. There is also a significant burden on the NHS – direct costs caused by obesity are now estimated to be £5.1 billion per year (2013).

6. An Obese man is: five times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes three times more likely to develop cancer of the colon more than two and a half times more likely to develop high blood pressure – a major risk factor for stroke and heart disease

7. An Obese woman is: almost 13 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes more than four times more likely to develop high blood pressure more than three times more likely to have a heart attack

8. Measures Leading soft drinks brands Lucozade, Ribena and J20 are among the latest brands to sign up to the Responsibility Deal’s calorie reduction pledge as part of the government’s drive to curb obesity levels.Responsibility Deal’s calorie reduction pledge

9. Measures Jan 2013 campagn from Change4life exposes hidden facts about everday foods. Tv advert reveals that there is 17 cubes of sugar in a bottle of cola, More than a wine glass full of fat in a large pizza is to be shown on TV.

11. Measures The government has announced (March 2013) new funding for school sport and PE worth £150m a year for the next two years. This is to promote an interest in sport and healthy lifestyles for the future. Part of Olympic ‘legacy measures’