Further to the findings, the Health Survey for England (HSE) revealed that 17% of men and 18% of women had ever had asthma diagnosed, and that as many as 27% of adults reported less than 30 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity per week – officially classifying them as “inactive”.

The nation-wide study, which consisted of 8,178 adults and 2,072 children, also found that 10% of men and 5% of women drink alcohol nearly every day, with older age groups more likely to drink regularly.

Caroline Cerny, alliance lead at the Obesity Health Alliance said that the consistently high rate of obesity is “sadly reflective of the environment we live in – one that is flooded with unhealthy food and drinks and relentless marketing to tell us to buy and eat more and more.”

She went on to say that “it doesn’t have to be like this,” as “25 years ago, rates of adult obesity were almost half what they are today. The Government can play a vital role in shaping our food environment to help us all be healthy.”

The sugar tax, or soft drink industry levy, was introduced on 6 April 2018 by the UK Government, as UK Ministers believe that the levy will help to reduce sugar in soft drinks and tackle childhood obesity, and according to HMRC, sugar tax receipts were £153.8 million to year end in October 2018.

Caroline continued: “This is why we need the next Government to urgently bring in new regulations to restrict the marketing of junk food and compel the food industry to make everyday food less sugary and calorific.”

Back in August the Scottish Obesity Alliance called on first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, to introduce regulation to restrict price promotions and hopefully help “curb the obesity crisis.” The letter reminded that “whilst the rate of childhood obesity levels has slowed down, it has not stopped or started to decline”, before going on to call the situation a “major public health crisis.”

Also earlier this year, analysis from Cancer Research UK found that excess weight causes more cases of certain cancers than smoking, and that the number of people who are obese now outnumbers those who smoke two to one in the UK.

The data show that excess weight causes around 1,900 more cases of bowel cancer than smoking in the UK each year, while the same “worrying pattern” is seen in cancer in the kidneys (1,400 more cases caused by excess weight than by smoking each year), ovaries (460) and liver (180), the charity warned.

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Obesity can put an individual at a higher risk of multiple diseases. Unhealthy weight is the reason behind many deadly diseases. It can increase the risk of heart diseases, diabetes, stroke, liver diseases and many other medical issues. Maintaining a healthy weight is extremely necessary to keep the risk of multiple health issues at bay. Not just these diseases, a recent study has highlighted that obesity can increase the risk of many cancers as well. Researchers have found that being overweight before the age of 40 could increase the risk of various cancers in adults.

For the findings, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, the research team wanted to find out how adult overweight (BMI over 25) and obesity (BMI over 30) increase the risk of different types of cancer. The researchers used data collected from 2,20,000 individuals. Data from health examinations, including information on height and weight, were linked to data from national cancer registries.

“Obesity is an established risk factor for several cancers. In this study, we have focused on the degree, timing and duration of overweight and obesity in relation to cancer risk,” said study author Tone Bjorge, Professor at University of Bergen in Norway.

According to the researchers, 27,881 individuals were diagnosed with cancer during follow-up, of which 9,761 (35 percent) were obesity-related. The study concluded that if you were overweight before age 40, the risk of developing cancer increases by 70 percent for endometrial cancer, 58 percent for male renal-cell cancer, 29 percent for male colon cancer and 15 percent for all obesity-related cancers (both in males and females).

“The risk increased by 64 percent for male participants and 48 percent for females,” Bjorge added.

Weight Loss Tips: Ways to fight obesity

You need to reduce body fat and fight obesity to stay healthy. If you are suffering from obesity you need an action plan to fight obesity and lose weight. Healthy habits should be developed from a young age to avoid the risk of obesity for a lifetime. Here are some ways to tackle obesity effectively. These methods can contribute to weight loss.

1. Avoid the triggers

You need to understand the factors which can contribute to obesity. Some lifestyle habits can unknowingly affect your weight and lead to obesity. To maintain a healthy BMI follow healthy habits from the initial stage itself.

2. Keep a check on your weight

Keep checking your weight with time. Whenever you see a disturbance in your BMI, switch to healthy habits which can help you reduce weight before it becomes worse. Starting early can help you control the condition on time.

3. Exercise and diet is the key

Regular exercise and a restricted diet is the key to maintain a healthy weight. You need to make exercise as a compulsory part of your daily routine to avoid obesity for a lifetime. Choose healthy calories which do not contribute to obesity.

4. Know how to differentiate between foods

You must also know the difference between the foods good for you and which are not. Choose good fats over bad ones and make healthy choices in your daily diet.

5. Eliminate sugar

Sugar is hidden in many foods. Too much consumption of foods high in sugar can increase the risk of obesity. Not just direct sources, you must also eliminate indirect sources like packed fruit juice, cookies and many more.

The post Are You Overweight? It Could Increase Your Risk Of Cancer; Fight Obesity With These Tips appeared first on MyMedicPlus.

While obesity significantly increases your chances of developing heart failure, for those with established heart failure it may confer a survival benefit compared with normal weight or underweight individuals, a new paper by researchers from the University of Adelaide reports.

Importantly, using data from 375,056 patients from nine studies, researchers found that the lowest mortality risk for those with established heart failure (HF) was in overweight individuals rather than severely obese.

There is limited information on the impact of weight loss on obese patients with HF. However, the study confirmed that intentional weight loss in non-HF patients with obesity was associated with improved heart health.

Lead author Dr. Michael Stokes, a heart failure physician at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Ph.D. candidate at the University of Adelaide, said the protective benefit of obesity in established HF was an example of the “obesity paradox.”

“The obesity paradox is the observation, generally from large clinical registries or trials, that the presence of obesity confers a survival benefit over normal or underweight individuals,”‘ he said.

“There are a number of possible explanations for obesity paradox in HF including whether obese patients are diagnosed earlier in their disease course due to greater functional impairment, and also whether obese patients tolerate disease-modifying and prognostic medications compared with non-obese patients.

“In this meta-analysis, the data found a “U-shaped’ survival curve with the lowest mortality in overweight patients and a reduced mortality in the obese when compared with normal or underweight HF patients.

“HF burden is significantly increasing in Australia—there are about 14 new admissions in South Australia every day—and internationally and is associated with huge healthcare costs, significant hospital stays and significant functional impairment for patients. The readmission rates for HF patients are commonly 25-30% at one month following hospital admission; additionally, the survival for HF is worse than many common cancers.

“Obesity is a significant contributor to the HF burden and nearly 30% of Australians are obese and it is estimated that by 2031-2032, 41% of the Australian population will be obese. Our study supports previous work which has demonstrated that obesity significantly increases the risk of HF development.

“This meta-analysis adds to the body of evidence supporting the clear link between obesity and HF, the effect of weight on prognosis of HF and the impact of weight loss on cardiac remodeling. We are now conducting a randomized controlled study assessing the impact of intentional weight loss (achieved through dietary intervention and prescribed exercise), in a HF population of obese patients. This will hopefully address the important clinical question of whether intentional weight loss is beneficial in this growing group of patients.”

“Complex interaction of obesity, intentional weight loss and heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis” is published in Heart.

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