Obesity and Health

Being obese or overweight can increase the risk of developing a range of serious diseases. The risks rise with BMI, and so are greater for obese individuals. The 2004 Wanless report ‘Securing Good Health for the Whole Population’ likened obesity to smoking in terms of associated disease burden as a determinant of future health. The health risks associated with obesity are outlined below.

Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)
Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
Type 2 diabetes
Coronary heart disease
Stroke
Gallbladder disease
Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
Low back pain
Delivery complications
Psychological ill health

Severely obese individuals are likely to die on average 11 years earlier (13 years for a severely obese man between 20 and 30 years of age), than those with a healthy weight. This risk is comparable to, and in some cases worse than, the reduction in life expectancy from smoking (Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives, 2008). Elevated BMI was estimated to cost the country £15.8 billion per year in 2007, of which £4.2 billion is the cost to the NHS (Foresight, 2007).

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