PUT THE
DONUT
DOWN!
By Mahri Carmichael
Many obese women find they can’t have children. Those
women who do manage to conceive put themselves and
the baby at risk. NHS encourages women to reach a
healthy weight before trying to conceive. By reaching a
healthy weight they have more chance of conceiving
naturally and reduce the risks associated with being
overweight during pregnancy.
Obesity rates within
the UK rocket skyhigh over the past 30 The causes of obesity differ with person. Some causes
are medial related such as polycystic ovary syndrome.
years.
However, the highest cause of obesity is when a person
intakes more calories than they burn off. The unused
calories then turn into fat on the body. Modern lifestyle
Obesity within the
doesn’t help. Access to high energy, fatty foods is easier
UK has become a
huge concern that is and cheaper than fresh produce and healthier foods.
The lifestyle of an average person is less active than it
worsening every
used to be. Things used in leisure such as watching TV,
year. It is a concern that is often swept under the
playing video games and browsing the internet are
carpets. The rates of obesity in men and women in
usually done sitting down.
England have doubled since 1980.
There isn’t enough coverage within the media on the
issue of obesity. Obesity is an eating disorder. It is
defined by the NHS as “a term used to describe
somebody who is very overweight with a high degree of
body fat.”
In the past people used to walk or cycle more,
nowadays people either drive or take public transport.
This meaning that some people can go weeks without
any form of exercise.
A few tips to tackle obesity:
Throughout the years women have went through phases
of what’s “sexy”. It goes from being “thin”, to “curvy”. In
today’s society people are more accepting of a woman
that carries a little extra body fat but some women use
this as an excuse to allow themselves to get into an
unhealthy state and avoid acceptance of their
overeating.
In England, 32% of women are overweight and an
additional 21% of women are obese. This increases with
age. 27% of women between the age of 16 and 24 are
overweight or obese and 68% of women aged between
55 and 64 are in the same category. In Scotland
between 1995 and 2012 the percentage of the
population who were overweight or obese increased
from 52.4% to 61.9%.
With obesity come a number of illnesses that affect the
individuals’ lifestyle; heart disease, type 2 diabetes,
some cancers and increases the risk of having a stroke.
The health problems associated with being overweight
and obese costs the NHS more than £5billion a year.
1. Prevent further weight gain by avoiding
overeating of large meals and foods that contain
high fat and sugar contents.
2. Exercise regularly and follow a calorie-controlled
diet in order to gradually lose weight. A simple
thing such as taking a 30 minute walk a day has
proven to help lose weight and sustain a healthy
life.
3. Avoid regaining any lost weight. It’s hard to lose
weight, but easy to gain it.
4. Improving general health in order to avoid any
risks or complications related to being
overweight or obese.