Could obesity shorten your life?
Being obese at 40 could shorten your life by up to 7 years, according to new research.
Even worse, if you're obese and continue to smoke, you are potentially cutting your life by more than 13 years.
The health and lifestyles of 3,500 men and women have been studied by researchers over the last 50 years and their findings are frightening to say the least.
Their conclusions which were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine outline how being obese or overweight in adulthood can lower life expectancy as much as smoking. Furthermore their report goes on to say that the progress made in recent years combating cancer and heart disease could be outweighed by the number of deaths related to obesity.
Luis Rodriguez, director of www.pronokal.co.uk said: “Obesity has become an ever increasing problem in the UK. Figures now indicate that 46 per cent of men and 32 per cent of women now overweight. This translates to 17 per cent of men and 21 per cent of women actually being classed as obese.
"One worrying trend is the number of youngsters who have succumbed to weight gain especially in the capital. Over a third of London’s 11 year olds are overweight, which in turn equates to one in five 11 year olds in London already being classed as obese. The adults in London fair no better with over half of Londoner’s being overweight or obese.”
These alarming statistics undoubtedly confirm that our changing lifestyles in the 21st Century have done little for the general fitness and well being of our nation. Hectic lifestyles and work schedules coupled with instant food on the go and lack of time for exercise are perhaps the main culprits.
Rodriguez continues: “Weight gain is really very simple to understand and by understanding we can take the appropriate measures to counter this threat. We take in more energy from our food and drink than we can ever hope to burn off with our daily activities. Therefore as obesity continues to rise in the UK at an alarming rate now is the time to take action and not let one’s self become just another statistic.”
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