There’s sometimes a misconception that obesity is purely down to a person’s choices. Namely: if they just ate better and moved more, they’d lose weight, right?
Well, not quite. Obesity is a complex condition that’s affected by loads of different things, from a person’s environment to their access to healthcare, and much more.
That’s why there’s no single answer to the question: why are obesity levels in the UK rising? Instead, we have to look at the bigger picture and consider all the different factors that can influence a person’s weight. Let’s dive in.
What percentage of the UK is obese?
But before we get into it: how many people are obese in the UK? According to the latest figures, 29% of adults in England were estimated to be obese in 2022. Sixty-four percent were overweight or obese.
Obesity rates in the UK increased from 15-25% between 1993-2008, and have been rising more slowly since then.
Why is obesity increasing in the UK?
On a basic level, weight gain happens when you take in more calories than you burn, and the extra calories are stored as fat.
But a bunch of different things can influence that process. The causes of obesity can also vary from person to person.
Unhealthy diets
Generally, you need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight—meaning that you eat fewer calories than you use each day. The NHS recommends a deficit of 600 calories for weight loss. That means that people assigned male at birth would need 1,900 calories per day while those assigned as female would need 1,400.
If you eat foods that are high in calories, you can reach—and surpass—that limit fairly quickly.
For example, eating fast food that’s high in saturated fat and sugar, having portions that are larger than you need, and drinking too many fizzy drinks can all put you over the line. A 12-inch Margherita pizza can have around 1,200 calories—and that’s just one meal. Plus, because these options don’t tend to fill you up as much as whole foods, it’s easy to overeat.
It’s harder than you think to eat a nutritious and balanced diet in today’s world. High-calorie, processed foods are getting cheaper and more convenient than healthier options and cooking from scratch. On average, adults aged 19-64 get just 3.7 portions of fruit and veg per day: five is the recommended minimum.
Physical inactivity
Being active improves your metabolism and can support weight loss by increasing the amount of energy your body uses.
But again, fitting regular exercise into your routine can be much easier said than done. For example, if your job involves sitting at a desk all day and you rely on cars or public transport to commute to work, you will need to go out of your way to meet the minimum recommended amount of exercise (150 minutes of moderate-intensity movement plus two strength sessions each week).
And if you have family or other caring responsibilities, finding the time and motivation can be even tougher.
Social and economic inequalities
The environment you live in and the opportunities you have can influence your weight, too.
Studies have noted that factors such as educational background, job type, and income level can influence obesity risk, with people facing greater socioeconomic challenges often experiencing higher rates
These factors might limit access to healthy food options and healthcare, cause higher levels of stress and emotional eating, and more.
What are the health risks of obesity?
Carrying extra weight can come with health risks, particularly if it’s around your waist. These include:
Type 2 diabetes
Gaining weight is linked to insulin resistance, which is where your body becomes less sensitive to the effects of insulin. This leads to high blood sugar and eventually, it can bring on type 2 diabetes. If you’re at risk of type 2 diabetes, losing at least 5-7% of your weight might help prevent or delay the disease from developing.
Heart disease
Having a bigger body can also increase your blood pressure, because your heart needs to work harder to pump blood to all your cells. This can put you at risk of other heart problems, like heart attack and stroke.
Respiratory illness
There’s an increased risk of breathing problems with excess weight, too. For one, obesity is a common cause of sleep apnea, which is when your upper airway becomes blocked while you’re asleep. As a result, your breathing might become irregular or even briefly stop.
You might also be more likely to develop asthma, a condition where your lung’s airways sometimes become inflamed and narrow.
Muscle and joint problems
And then there’s the extra pressure that the weight can put on your joints and connective tissues. This may raise your risk of osteoarthritis—a condition where tissues in your joints break down over time. According to the Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, each extra pound of body weight (around 450g) places 4-6 times that amount of pressure on your knee joints.
How can obesity be treated?
It’s a tough but important question. To treat obesity in the UK, we’ll need to take multiple approaches: for example, it’s important to educate the public on healthy food options while also making it cheaper to eat well. Meanwhile, individual people will need to commit to making lifestyle changes.
And far more research is needed to understand the complex causes of obesity. Some experts think understanding something called “metabolic age” might be useful too. It's an emerging theory surrounding metabolism, and how quickly your body burns calories.
A nutritious, balanced diet and regular exercise have long been considered the mainstay in obesity treatment. And while they are super important, it can be difficult to reach your health goals through lifestyle alone.
That’s why so many people are interested in new weight loss medications like Wegovy and Mounjaro. They act like natural gut hormones to make you feel full and keep your cravings at bay.
When used to supplement a healthy lifestyle, they work very well: for instance, people using Wegovy weight loss injections might lose up to 14.9% of their starting weight. With Mounjaro weight loss injections, you could lose up to 25.3%.
A new way to tackle obesity
At risk of sounding like a broken record here: obesity is a complex issue and requires a compassionate, multi-pronged approach to treatment. It’s not a quick fix: we certainly wouldn’t recommend fad diets!
Instead, it’s all about building a healthy routine that you’ll stick to in the long run—which can include using weight loss medication.
We can help you do that through our weight loss programme. You’ll get weight loss medication posted to you each month plus expert support from our team of coaches, who will work with you to create a personalised plan of action. We’ll be right there with you at each step, cheering you on and celebrating your wins.
Find out if you’re eligible by filling out this short form.
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