On Air Archive

The first ‘UK BMI Map’ reveals that the average person in every single region is now classified as overweight and, in some areas, dangerously close to being obese.

The shocking report, issued by the UK’s leading weight loss organisation, reveals that the East Midlands is the obesity hotspot of the UK with around 7 out of 10 adults in cities like Leicester, Derby and Nottingham now overweight or obese.  The average person in the region has a BMI of 28.9kg/m² – placing them on the obesity borderline and at risk of conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

The trend is much the same across most of the UK, with the average person in Scotland, the West Midlands, the North West and Wales presenting a BMI that is closer to being obese than it is to a healthy weight.   

THE SCALE OF THE UK'S WEIGHTY PROBLEM BY REGION/COUNTRY Average BMI (kg/m²) Healthy BMI = 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m² Overweight BMI = 25 to 29.9 kg/m² Obese BMI = 30 to 39.9 kg/m² Morbidly obese BMI = more than 40 kg/m² 

East Midlands   28.9
 
Scotland  28.4
 
West Midlands  28.1
 
North West  27.9
 
Wales  27.8
 
East of England  27.5
 
South West  27.5
 
Northern Ireland 27.2
 
Yorkshire and The Humber  27.0
 
South East   26.9
 
North East  26.9
 
London  26.1

The new UK BMI data comes from a national survey by Slimming World and YouGov. Dr Jacquie Lavin, Slimming World’s Head of Nutrition and Research, commented:  “Our research shows that the average person in the UK is already overweight, with a BMI of 27.5kg/m².  A Government report in 2007 predicted that by 2050 the majority of people could be obese unless something is done.”

The new study reveals that while one in three very overweight people believe there is a genetic explanation for their size, a significant 73% feel that the environment around them is the cause of their condition. 

Dr Jacquie Lavin said, “ Clearly obesity is a national problem but the causes are often very local and most people recognise that their environment, and the lifestyle it encourages, is at least partly to blame.

“High calorie junk food has become cheaper and increasingly locally available, while amenities to encourage physical activity have become fewer and further between. At the same time lifestyle habits and perceptions of ‘normal’ body weight have been passed through families and social networks causing them to be distorted over time.  These combining factors have resulted in a ‘social snowball’ effect that has caused a spread of obesity right across the country.

She added, “ It’s a local problem which is why we need to tackle it locally too, with a solution that is available in every local community.  Being overweight is increasingly a worry for many of us and for our families and children. It affects how we feel, our happiness and our wellbeing. Many overweight people want to do something about it, but often don’t know where to turn for help. They beat themselves up feeling guilty about their weight and increasingly their children’s weight.”

In light of the new sobering statistics, Slimming World is launching a “Let’s Beat It Together” community weight loss campaign on 22 February to get people in communities across the UK involved in a challenge to tackle obesity together.

“Let’s Beat It Together” is a 12-week integrated local community campaign launched by Slimming World to get people thinking about their own weight, health and happiness and that of their family and loves ones.  More than 6,000 Slimming World groups are working with GP’s, hospitals, headteachers and employers in their local area to raise awareness of obesity and the healthy weight loss support available.

As part of the challenge Slimming World has pledged to give the group with the highest average weight loss at the end of the 12 week challenge £1,000 for a community project of their choice.

 As well as print and radio, the campaign will be carried across the internet. Online, the slimming club’s growing army of ‘fans’ and ‘followers’ will receive motivational slimming tips via YouTube, Facebook and Twitter throughout the 12-week campaign. The Slimming World website will have regular updates of the amount of weight lost too.

Dr Lavin commented,  “’The Let’s Beat It Together’ campaign is about the benefits of losing even a small amount of weight .  Losing just 5-10% of your body weight can have a hugely positive effect on your health, confidence and self esteem. That’s the challenge of this campaign. "

ABOUT OBESITY

• 30 million adults in Britain (that’s 62% of the adult population) are overweight or obese 
• The problems related to weight touch all of us – our families, our friends, our communities. Each year 40,000 people die from weight-related illnesses
• Being overweight can cause unhappiness, low self-esteem and lack of confidence.  At worst it leads to health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer, and can cut 9 years off your life expectancy
• Obesity rates have tripled in the last decade – and if we don’t take action, they’ll continue to rise
• It’s affecting our children’s health too: one million children under 16 in the UK are obese, storing up all kinds of health problems for the future
• Ours is the first generation ever where parents might outlive their children, because of obesity in the younger generation
• Our weight is putting huge pressure on our GPs and hospitals: it costs the NHS an estimated £4.2 billion a year. By 2050, it’s predicted that half the NHS budget will be spent on treating weight-related illnesses
• It affects our working lives too: 18 million working days a year are lost due to weight-related illnesses