Are We Looking At Weight Loss From The Right Perspective?

The word obese sounds terrible when you say it, doesn’t it? Well not only does it sound awful to say, but it is also awful to have that affliction too. 

As a nation, we don’t talk about obesity enough. Sure the media is full of weight loss solutions and skinny models projecting the ‘perfect’ figure, but we’re not talking enough about the reasons why we should be losing weight. We’re not being honest enough about the bigger picture that we in the UK and the world are facing. From where we’re standing it seems to have become a silent pandemic. Losing weight Isn’t about looking good and being a single figure dress size. It’s about health and mortality.

So here at New You, we’ve decided to talk about it!

Did you know that the UK has the highest rates of obesity in Europe? Over the last 25 years, adult obesity has quadrupled meaning 1 in 4 adults have a BMI of over 30. New studies have shown that by 2035 this number will increase to 3 in 4 adults.

So What Does That Mean In Terms of Health?

Well, obesity is a condition that just keeps on giving. But the health complications don’t happen overnight – which is the problem. Because by then it can be hard to reverse the damage that has already been done.

When you are obese you are

• 5 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you are male and 13 times more likely if you are female.
• Up to 4% more likely to develop high blood pressure, which is double the chance of someone with a BMI classed as normal.
• Reducing your life expectancy by 3 years.

But Medicine Has Come on in Leaps and Bounds…

That may well be, but obesity is the biggest drain on the NHS resources. It’s not just the 7 million cases of type 2 diabetes (and its infinite complications), 6.5 million cases of heart disease and the 500,000 obesity-linked cancers that the NHS has to deal with. It’s the 48 billion pounds that they have spent in trying to manage the social causes and healthcare of obesity. 

What Are The Causes of Obesity?

Well, that’s the billion-dollar question. There is no one cause here, so we’ve listed a few:

• Sedentary lifestyles which include desk jobs, sitting commutes and general lack of movement. 
• Consumption of unnecessary and leisurely food and drink.
• Manufacturers.
• Household income.
• Genetics.
• Upbringing.
• Social influence.
• Geographic location.

And the list goes on. One our favourite quotes as to why obesity has grown at an alarming rate is by Susan Jebb of Oxford University, who said:

“Obesity has increased so greatly over the last few decades…That’s not a national collapse in willpower. It’s something about our environment that has changed.”

So don’t be so hard on yourself if you were blaming your lack of self-control around biscuits!

What Can We Do?

The sad fact is that obesity is responsible for 30,000 deaths a year. These deaths could potentially be preventable at an individual level. It’s no good waiting for society to change or the government to step in because in general, because no one is talking about weight loss from the right perspective. It’s down to you to take charge of your life and most importantly, take charge of those habits that aren’t allowing you to live your healthiest life.

Changing habits require a shift in mindset, which anyone can do with the right tools and coaching. Here at New You, we might not be able to change the world’s obesity problem but we can help each individual that’s looking for their best selves. We offer free mindset coaching to all our customers to ensure lifetime lasting transformation.