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Britons are the fattest people in Europe, with one of the world's fastest
obesity growth rates, according to a leading international think-tank.
The UK comes top out of 20 European Union nations, with almost one in four
people so fat they could face an early grave.
Levels of fatness in Scottish children are second worst in the world,
behind the US, while children in England are eighth worst.
Overall, in a study of citizens of the 33 richest countries, the UK is
fifth behind the US, Mexico, Chile and New Zealand.
Developed nations are getting fatter, warns the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development which produced the report.
The Paris-based watchdog claims the growing costs of healthcare and wasted
resources are making obesity a top priority for many governments.
Report author Franco Sassi, a former London School of Economics lecturer,
puts the blame on modern lifestyles.
He said: 'Food is much cheaper than in the past, in particular food that is
not particularly healthy, and people are changing their lifestyles. They have
less time to prepare meals and are eating out more in restaurants.
'There is a frightening increase in the epidemic. We've not reached the
plateau yet.'
According to the report, the lifespan of an obese person is up to 10 years
shorter than that of a normal-weight person – the same loss of lifespan incurred
by smoking.
It shows 24 per cent of men were rated obese and 25 per cent of women in
2008 in the UK.
In addition, 42 per cent of men are overweight and 32 per cent of women,
meaning that up to two in three people have their health put at risk by their
weight.
In Scotland, latest figures show 35 per cent of 12 to 15-year-olds are
overweight or obese, compared with 29 per cent of children aged five to 17 in
England.
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发表于 2016-7-10 17:41:01