obesity is caused when individuals consume more calories than they expend in activity. However, unpicking the variety of influences on this increasing imbalance is more complex.
Choosing Health states that being obese reduces one’s life expectancy by 9 years. The Westminster Obesity Treatment Needs Assessment suggests that approximately 99 deaths a year in Westminster could be attributable to obesity. The risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, gallbladder disease, breathlessness and sleep apnoea are increased more than 3 times for obese people. The risk of developing coronary heart disease, hypertension and joint problems is increased two to three times. The risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women, endometrial cancer and colon cancer can be double for obese people compared to people with a BMI under 25. Some of these diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes, have now been found in obese young people, where previously such diseases were thought to be diseases of middle age. Even small decreases in weight can lead to an appreciable improvement in the health risks of obesity. There is some evidence that permanent weight loss, though difficult to achieve, appears to eliminate obesity-associated co-morbidities.