Government report predicts rise in obesity-related conditions and their cost
The majority of the UK's adult population will be clinically obese by 2050 unless dramatic action is taken due to changes in society and people's relation to food and exercise.
A Government report, entitled 'Tackling Obesities: Future Choices', claimed that 60% of men, 55% of women and 25% of children under the age of 16 will be clinically obese by the middle of the century, and that more dramatic action is needed to avert this prediction.
The study, which was issued by the think tank Foresight last month, predicted a rise in the proportion of the population who will suffer from obesity-linked health conditions. Such an increase would cost the British economy £45.5bn each year due to reduced productivity in the workforce, loss of earnings, social security spending and the NHS, which itself will face a seven-fold increase in costs, the organisation said.
Being obese increases the likelihood of cancers occurring in the womb, kidney, colon, gall bladder and, for post-menopausal women, breast cancer, and has traditionally been linked to coronary disease, high blood pressure and raised cholesterol levels in the bloodstream.
The report attempted to draw attention to what it perceived as being the root cause of obesity, saying: "Although personal responsibility does play a crucial part in weight gain, human biology is currently being overwhelmed by the effects of today's 'obesogenic' environment, with its abundance of energy-dense food, motorised transport and largely sedentary lifestyles."
