increased by 1/3 over the last year.

Scary statistics recently published by the NHS Information Centre show that the UK obesity epidemic is exploding! For example the figures show the number of individuals taken to hospital because of obesity related illnesses has gone up by more than ten times over the last ten years!

In 1999 only around 1,000 people were admitted into UK hospitals because of an obesity issue but the figures for 2009 show a huge increase at 10,720 hospital admissions. The sort of obesity related issues were things like organ failure, breathing difficulties and heart disease. Many of these people admitted into hospital had gastric bypass surgery. The NHS Information Centre report also showed that in England the number of men and women who went to hospital as a result of a weight problem had increased by 1/3 over the last year.

In the UK the number one preventable health problem is still smoking, however obesity is fast catching up and could end up being the most expensive problem that the state has to deal with. Obesity is not just a health problem but is also a huge financial one too. The cost of obesity is not just related to health care but also comes in the form of lost productivity at work. Not only do obese people take more sick days, but they tend to work slower too.

It is high time that the UK government understands that unless it makes drastic steps to stop the ongoing increase in the number of obese individuals they will eventually end up crippling the National Health Service.  An investment in obesity prevention should end up paying dividends in the long term. It is especially important for children that they are educated about healthy eating and lifestyles because if children become obese they usually stay that way for the rest of their lives.