Obesity and Society
Released
on: November 5, 2009, 8:00 am
Author: The
Hospital Group
Industry: Healthcare
Obese
and overweight people are forecast to cost the nation £50
billion – half the NHS budget for a year – by 2050
if the trend continues unchecked, with diabetes the biggest draw
on these figures.*
The
NHS spends an estimated £600m a year on treating diabetes
– the largest in primary care – and tackling obesity
levels in Britain could save an estimate £950 per person
each year. **
As
well as drug spend, hospital admissions for Britans with problems
caused by weight-related diabetes also doubled, from 7,000 in
2003-04 to 14,320 in 2007-08. **
In
five years, the total numbers of people admitted to hospital as
a direct result of obesity rose by 190 per cent, with 5,056 admissions
in 2007-08. **
Leading
dietitian and Head of Weight Management Services at The Hospital
Group, Cirian Marie-Beddoes, said: “Barely a day passes
without the cost of obesity on the NHS being mentioned. It’s
a very real fact that as well needing to tackle obesity on a personal
level, the nation’s obese must consider what a huge drain
their weight-induced health problems are on the NHS.
“Having spent nine years working in obesity in the NHS,
I feel that the only way to curb the epidemic is with the support
of private healthcare, such as gastric
band surgery at The Hospital Group.”
A report on the matter produced these key findings:
• Awareness of the problem is not low. †
• 49% of those questioned blamed their poor diet for their
size. †
• 63% blamed a lack of exercise. †
• Stress was blamed by 20% of those questioned. †
• 14% blamed their genes and the same percentage said that
they were too busy to do anything about their weight. †
• Giving up smoking, large breasts, beer and ‘emptiness’
were also accredited. †
A separate survey revealed that some overweight people believe
their weight has affected their careers. The following are some
interesting comments that came from this survey:
“I think it’s natural that people have less respect
for you if you are overweight.”
“Some
people look upon overweight people negatively in that they feel
they cannot control how they eat, which may reflect in working
life.”
All
figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample
size was 2056 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 5th-7th
October 2009. The survey was carried out online. The figures have
been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
OnePoll questioned 4000 adults between 19-21 October 2009. The
survey was carried out online and the panel used was aged 16+
and nationally representative.
∆You Gov
†One Poll
*Change4Life campaign
** Liberal Democrat figures
For more information, key case studies or expert comment,
please contact:
Felicity Cross or Lucy Kemp
felicitycross@seal.uk.com
lucykemp@seal.uk.com
or 0121 616 5800
2012
