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Scroll.in
3 days ago
- Health
- Scroll.in
Obesity: Lifestyle changes can't fix the conditions that lead to weight to gain
For years, people living with obesity have been given the same basic advice: eat less, move more. But while this mantra may sound simple, it's not only ineffective for many, it can be deeply misleading and damaging. Obesity is not just about willpower. It's a complex, chronic, relapsing condition and affects around 26.5% of adults in England, and 22.1% of children aged ten–11 in England. A new report estimates the rapidly growing number of people that are overweight or obese costs the UK £126 billion a year. This includes £71.4 billion in reduced quality of life and early mortality, £12.6 billion in NHS treatment costs, £12.1 billion from unemployment and £10.5 billion in informal care. Food campaigners and health experts have called for urgent government action, including expanding the sugar tax to more products, restricting junk food advertising and mandating reformulation of ultra processed foods. As Henry Dimbleby, author of a government-commissioned independent report called the National Food Strategy, warned: 'We've created a food system that's poisoning our population and bankrupting the state.' Without significant policy change, these costs are projected to rise to £150 billion a year by 2035. Despite this, much of the UK's approach continues to frame obesity as a lifestyle issue that can be tackled by emphasising personal responsibility. But this framing ignores the bigger picture. We now understand that obesity is multifactorial. Genetics, childhood experiences, cultural norms, economic disadvantage, psychological health, mental illness and even the kind of job you have all play a role. These aren't things you can simply change with a Fitbit and salad. This broader perspective isn't new. In 2007, the UK government's Foresight report mapped out the complex web of factors behind rising obesity rates, describing how modern environments actively promote weight gain. This ' obesogenic environment ' refers to the world we live in. Its one where high-calorie, low-nutrient foods are cheap and everywhere, and where physical activity has been engineered out of everyday life, from car-centric cities to screen-dominated leisure time. Play These environments don't affect everyone equally. People in more deprived areas are significantly more exposed to conditions that drive obesity, such as food deserts (areas with limited access to affordable, nutritious food), poor public transport and limited green space. In this context, weight gain becomes a normal biological response to an abnormal environment. Why 'eat less, move more' falls short Despite growing awareness of these systemic issues, most UK obesity strategies still centre on individual behaviour change, often through weight management programmes that encourage people to cut calories and exercise more. While behaviour change has a place, focusing on it exclusively creates a dangerous narrative: that people who struggle with their weight are simply lazy or lack willpower. This narrative fuels weight stigma, which can be incredibly harmful. Yet data shows a clear link between higher rates of obesity and deprivation, especially among children. It's clear many people still don't understand the role of structural and socioeconomic factors in shaping obesity risk. And this misunderstanding leads to judgement, shame and stigma, especially for children and families who are already vulnerable. Good obesity care Instead of outdated advice and blame, we need a holistic, stigma-free and science-informed approach to obesity care, one that reflects current Nice guidelines and the Obesity Health Alliance 's recommendations. There are several things that need to be done. First, we should recognise obesity as a chronic disease. Obesity is not a failure of willpower. It's a relapsing, long-term medical condition. Like diabetes or depression, it requires structured, ongoing support, not short-term fixes or crash diets. Play Second, we need to tackle weight stigma head-on. Weight-based discrimination is widespread in schools, workplaces and even healthcare settings. We need training for professionals to reduce bias, promote inclusive care and adopt person-centred, non-stigmatising language. Discriminatory practices must be challenged and eliminated. Third, deliver personalised, multidimensional support. Treatment plans should be tailored to each person's life, including their cultural background, psychological history and social context. This includes shared decision-making, regular follow-up and integrated mental health support. And fourth, focus on changing the environment, not just people. We must shift the focus to the systems and structures that make healthy choices so hard. That means investing in affordable, nutritious food; improving access to physical activity; and tackling inequality at its roots. Systemic shift Obesity isn't just about what people eat or how often they exercise. It's shaped by biology, experience and the environment we build around people. Framing it as a personal failure not only ignores decades of evidence – it actively harms the very people who need support. If we want to reduce stigma, improve health outcomes – and avoid a £150bn crisis – then the 'eat less, move more' era must come to an end. What we need instead is a bold, compassionate, evidence-based systems approach – one that sees the whole person and the world they live in. Lucie Nield is Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Sheffield.
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First Post
11-07-2025
- Health
- First Post
Big fat problem: Why 'eat less, move more' mantra might not always work to fight obesity
For years, people living with obesity have been given the same basic advice: eat less, move more. But while this mantra may sound simple, it's not effective for all. Genetics, childhood experiences, cultural norms, economic disadvantage, psychological health, mental illness and even the kind of job you have all play a role and cannot be ignored read more Advertisement While behaviour change has a place, focusing on it exclusively creates a dangerous narrative: that people who struggle with their weight are simply lazy or lack willpower. Image for Representation. Reuters For years, people living with obesity have been given the same basic advice: eat less, move more. But while this mantra may sound simple, it's not only ineffective for many, it can be deeply misleading and damaging. Obesity is not just about willpower. It's a complex, chronic, relapsing condition and affects around 26.5 per cent of adults in England , and 22.1 per cent of children aged ten–11 in England. A new report estimates the rapidly growing number of people that are overweight or obese costs the UK £126 billion a year . This includes £71.4 billion in reduced quality of life and early mortality, £12.6 billion in NHS treatment costs, £12.1 billion from unemployment and £10.5 billion in informal care. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Food campaigners and health experts have called for urgent government action , including expanding the sugar tax to more products, restricting junk food advertising and mandating reformulation of ultra processed foods. As Henry Dimbleby , author of a government-commissioned independent report called the National Food Strategy , warned: 'We've created a food system that's poisoning our population and bankrupting the state.' Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK's latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences. Without significant policy change, these costs are projected to rise to £150 billion a year by 2035. Despite this, much of the UK's approach continues to frame obesity as a lifestyle issue that can be tackled by emphasising personal responsibility. But this framing ignores the bigger picture. We now understand that obesity is multifactorial . Genetics, childhood experiences, cultural norms, economic disadvantage, psychological health, mental illness and even the kind of job you have all play a role. These aren't things you can simply change with a Fitbit and salad. obesity is multifactorial. Genetics, childhood experiences, cultural norms, economic disadvantage, psychological health, mental illness and even the kind of job you have all play a roleImage courtesy: Pixabay/Representational This broader perspective isn't new. In 2007, the UK government's Foresight report mapped out the complex web of factors behind rising obesity rates, describing how modern environments actively promote weight gain . This 'obesogenic environment' refers to the world we live in. Its one where high-calorie, low-nutrient foods are cheap and everywhere, and where physical activity has been engineered out of everyday life, from car-centric cities to screen-dominated leisure time. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD These environments don't affect everyone equally. People in more deprived areas are significantly more exposed to conditions that drive obesity, such as food deserts (areas with limited access to affordable, nutritious food), poor public transport and limited green space. In this context, weight gain becomes a normal biological response to an abnormal environment. Why 'eat less, move more' isn't helping Despite growing awareness of these systemic issues, most UK obesity strategies still centre on individual behaviour change, often through weight management programmes that encourage people to cut calories and exercise more. While behaviour change has a place, focusing on it exclusively creates a dangerous narrative: that people who struggle with their weight are simply lazy or lack willpower. This narrative fuels weight stigma, which can be incredibly harmful. Yet data shows a clear link between higher rates of obesity and deprivation, especially among children . There is a clear link between higher rates of obesity and deprivation, especially among children. Image for Representation. Reuters It's clear many people still don't understand the role of structural and socioeconomic factors in shaping obesity risk. And this misunderstanding leads to judgement, shame and stigma, especially for children and families who are already vulnerable. What should good obesity care look like? Instead of outdated advice and blame, we need a holistic, stigma-free and science-informed approach to obesity care, one that reflects current Nice guidelines and the Obesity Health Alliance 's recommendations. There are several things that need to be done. First, we should recognise obesity as a chronic disease. Obesity is not a failure of willpower. It's a relapsing, long-term medical condition . Like diabetes or depression, it requires structured, ongoing support, not short-term fixes or crash diets. Second, we need to tackle weight stigma head-on. Weight-based discrimination is widespread in schools, workplaces and even healthcare settings. We need training for professionals to reduce bias, promote inclusive care and adopt person-centred, non-stigmatising language . Discriminatory practices must be challenged and eliminated. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Third, deliver personalised, multidimensional support. Treatment plans should be tailored to each person's life, including their cultural background, psychological history and social context. This includes shared decision-making, regular follow-up and integrated mental health support. Instead of outdated advice and blame, we need a holistic, stigma-free and science-informed approach to obesity care. Image for Representation. Pixabay And fourth, focus on changing the environment, not just people. We must shift the focus to the systems and structures that make healthy choices so hard. That means investing in affordable, nutritious food; improving access to physical activity; and tackling inequality at its roots. Need for a systemic shift Obesity isn't just about what people eat or how often they exercise. It's shaped by biology , experience and the environment we build around people. Framing it as a personal failure not only ignores decades of evidence – it actively harms the very people who need support. If we want to reduce stigma, improve health outcomes – and avoid a £150bn crisis – then the 'eat less, move more' era must come to an end. What we need instead is a bold, compassionate, evidence-based systems approach – one that sees the whole person and the world they live in. Lucie Nield , Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Sheffield and Catherine Homer , Associate Professor of Obesity and Public Health, School of Sport and Physical Activity , Sheffield Hallam University STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article .
The Guardian
02-07-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
UK's obesity and overweight epidemic costs £126bn a year, study suggests
The cost of the UK's epidemic of overweight and obesity has soared to £126bn a year, far higher than previous estimates, according to a study. The bill includes the costs of NHS care (£12.6bn), the years people spend in poor health because of their weight (£71.4bn) and the damage to the economy (£31bn). The calculations, by Frontier Economics for the Nesta thinktank, have prompted calls from food campaigners for ministers to take more robust action to tackle obesity, for example by extending the sugar tax from fizzy drinks to a wider range of sweet foods and beverages. Henry Dimbleby, the co-founder of the Leon restaurant chain who was commissioned by the previous Conservative government to write a report on the state of the country's food system, said: 'We've created a food system that's poisoning our population and bankrupting the state. 'This report shows that poor diet now costs the UK a shocking £126bn a year. That's not a crisis. That's a collapse.' The fact that 64% of people in Britain are overweight or obese costs the economy £31bn, Frontier found. That is enough for the government to cut income tax by 3p and is more than what is spent annually on policing in the four home nations, it added. Tim Leunig, Nesta's chief economist, said: 'Obesity has doubled since the 90s and causes a host of terrible health problems, like type 2 diabetes and cancer. 'This means obesity makes people less effective at work, forces them to take time off to manage illness or causes them to leave the workforce entirely owing to ill health.' Ministers are grappling with how to address the fact that 2.8 million people across the UK – 700,000 more than when Covid hit – are economically inactive due to illness, according to Office for National Statistics figures. In 2022, Frontier calculated the cost of obesity to be £58bn a year. It revised its estimate in 2023 to £98bn in analysis for the Tony Blair Institute. Its £126bn figure for Nesta is higher because it includes for the first time analysis of the costs of overweight as well as obesity. Kawther Hashem, the head of research at Action on Sugar, said the £126bn annual cost of obesity was staggering and should be a wake-up call. Voluntary action by the food industry to fight obesity has failed, so ministers need to impose compulsory targets on food firms, backed by financial penalties, to greatly reduce the amount of salt and sugar in their products, Hashem added. Nesta estimated the annual economic costs of being overweight and obesity to be: £71.4bn – cost of reduced quality of life and mortality. £12.6bn – financial cost of treatment for NHS. £12.1bn – from unemployment due to overweight and obesity. £10.5bn – cost of informal care. £9.7bn – lower productivity among those still working. £8.3bn – sick days due to weight-related illness. £1.2bn – cost of formal care. £700m – lost output due to weight-related early death. Katharine Jenner, the director of the Obesity Health Alliance, urged ministers to extend the sugar tax on fizzy drinks and limit the amount of sugar in baby and toddler food. Leunig said the advertising of unhealthy food should be restricted, front of pack labelling introduced and more money put into weight-loss drugs. Nesta's report said that the costs of excess weight will keep growing and could hit £150bn by 2035 without firm action to fight obesity. It states: 'Obesity-related costs are projected to keep rising over the next decade. By 2035, this report estimates the annual cost of excess weight will reach £150bn (in 2025 prices), with productivity losses alone accounting for £36.3bn a year. 'Without a meaningful policy shift to slow – let alone reverse – the growth in obesity, its impact on productivity is set to rise by 18% over the next 10 years in real terms.' Wes Streeting, the health secretary, said that more obese people in England would be able to access NHS weight management services – and weight-loss drugs – as a result of the government's 10-year plan for the NHS, which is coming out on Thursday.
Telegraph
12-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
The high-street brands taking over the grocery aisle – and the ones actually worth paying for
Not content with dominating the high street, the restaurant chains want supremacy at the supermarket too. They've been sneaking their products on to the shelves, with sauces like the Nando's Perinaise, side dishes (looking at you, Pizza Express dough balls) and even the main event, with Gourmet Burger Kitchen's burgers and Itsu's gyoza vying for our attention. Even Greggs has got in on the action with sausage rolls and steak bakes from the bakery chain sold in Iceland. Leon, so long the bastion of the healthier fast food, launched frozen waffle fries in Sainsbury's in 2020 and is due to add chicken thigh burgers into supermarkets later this month. To be fair, its products do sometimes have fewer additives than other leading brands. Nonetheless, Leon founder and food campaigner Henry Dimbleby, who sold his share to Asda's owners in 2021, is presumably spinning in his Hackney townhouse. It's big business. Itsu grocery products make up 30 per cent of the brand's group sales of £48 million and founder Julian Metcalfe says that its grocery sales are forecast to overtake the restaurants' by 2026. Pizza Express, which first launched into supermarkets two decades ago, says that retail sales now exceed £100 million. In these cash-strapped times, shelling out for a restaurant brand might feel like much-needed self-care – even if it's strictly self-service. But with the supermarkets selling their own cheaper versions of the products, is it really worth paying extra? We tested some of the best sellers side by side to find out. Croissants High-street brand: Pret All Butter Croissants £3.60 (or £3 with Nectar) for 6 (60p per 55g croissant) at Sainsbury's Supermarket brand: Aldi Bon Appetit! All Butter Croissants £2.79 for 8 (35p per 55g croissant) at Aldi The small print: The ingredient lists are identical bar a mysterious 'enzyme' in the Aldi one. The Aldi croissants are about eight per cent higher in calories and fat. The flavour: Both croissants cook up beautifully, and have a proper flaky exterior and tender, buttery layers inside. The Aldi version tastes more classically buttery, while the Pret croissant has a strong tang of cultured butter that verges on rancid. The winner: Aldi – they're cheaper and nicer. I also tested the M&S frozen croissants (£4.75 for 8, M&S or Ocado) which were identical to the Aldi ones but, at nearly 60p each, not nearly such good value. Vegetable gyoza High-street brand: Itsu Vegetable Fusion Gyoza £3.98 (on sale for £3.48) for 270g (£14.74 per kg) at Asda Supermarket brand: Akira Vegetables Gyoza £2.40 for 240g (£10 per kg) at Asda The small print: Both products contain soy protein to ramp up the nutrition, but the Akira version is 51 per cent vegetables compared to Itsu's 37. Akira has a shorter ingredient list, with fewer UPF markers but the Itsu ones have more than twice as much protein. The flavour: The Akira gyoza are larger, weighing in at 21g to Itsu's 13g, so you get just 12 in a pack to Itsu's 20. Both have lovely delicately stretchy wrappers, but Akira's are more vegetable-y, while Itsu's have enough vegan protein mince to have a distinct meatiness. The winner: A draw – spring for Itsu if you need the protein, but otherwise Akira's are cheaper and just as good. Sausage rolls High-street brand: Greggs 4 Sausage Rolls £3.50 for 427g (82p per 100g) at Iceland Supermarket brand: Iceland 2 Jumbo Sausage Rolls £1.00 for 280g (36p per 100g) at Iceland The small print: Iceland's sausage rolls are larger than Greggs: 140g rather than 107g. Much of this extra seems to be pastry: from the cooked sausage rolls, the meat filling weighed 50g in the Greggs and 58g in the Iceland version. The Greggs roll has 18 ingredients that you wouldn't find in your store cupboard, compared with 11 in the Iceland version and the latter is also palm oil- and emulsifier-free. The flavour: Greggs pastry is very short, crisp and savoury, while the Iceland one is flakier. It's in the meat that the difference really shows – the Iceland sausage has the texture of a wet sponge, and little flavour apart from salt and cardboard. Greggs sausage is squishy but with a bit of granular texture and a meaty, spice-laced flavour. Winner: Greggs, though I can't say either will be on my shopping list. Dough balls £3.33 (on sale for £1.63) for 200g (£1.67 per 100g) at Asda Supermarket brand: Asda Garlic & Herb Doughballs £1.90 for 165g (£1.15 per 100g) at Asda The small print: With both palm oil and mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids featuring in the ingredients, the Asda dough balls are firmly in the ultra-processed camp. There is nothing weird in the Pizza Express ones. True, they have a pinch more salt, but the Asda version has 30 times more saturated fat. The flavour: The supermarket dough balls with a garlic butter filling taste pretty industrial, although they cook to an appetising crisp golden brown. The Pizza Express ones – just unfilled miniature bread rolls – stay rip-apart-tender and taste right. It's a bit more work to cut them apart and spread them with the garlic butter, but the flavour is fine – not over garlicky. Spicy mayonnaise High-street brand: Nandos Perinaise Hot Peri Peri Mayo £2.35 (on sale for £1.85) for 265g (89p per 100g) at Waitrose Supermarket brand: Waitrose Squeezy Piri Piri Mayo £1.50 for 280ml (54p per 100g) at Waitrose The small print: While both include preservative and colour, the Nando's version has a bigger range of additives – more stabilisers and a cocktail of antioxidants. Nando's has more than twice as much salt though both, happily, use free range eggs. The flavour: The Nando's mayo has a slightly deeper orange colour and a pleasing red pepper flavour. Both have a mellow punch of heat, but the Waitrose one has a more classic mayonnaise tang. Though each is good in its own way, only a true Nando's fanatic would notice the difference when squeezed over grilled chicken and chips. Winner: Waitrose Beef burgers High-street brand: Gourmet Burger Kitchen 2 Gourmet Beef Burgers £5.50 for 342g (£16.08 per kg) at M&S or Ocado Supermarket brand: M&S Our Best Ever 2 British Beef Burgers £5.25 for 340g (£15.44 per kg) at M&S or Ocado The small print: First round goes to GBK: the roughly shaped patties contain British beef, salt and pepper – that's it. The tidy M&S discs look oddly bright pink in comparison, and contain rice flour, potato flour, salt and preservative alongside British beef, beef fat and bone marrow. But the GBK burgers have nearly twice as much salt, even if they are lower in fat and saturates. The flavour: Tough competition for the GBK burger here, as the M&S version came top in our supermarket burger tasting 18 months ago. Both cook up nicely, with the GBK one still rosy in the middle after the specified cooking time. The M&S ones are gloriously juicy but taste bland next to the intensely meaty GBK ones – that extra salt is doing its job. Winner: GBK Waffle fries High-street brand: Leon Waffle Fries £2.85 for 550g (£5.18 per kg) at Morrisons Supermarket brand: Morrisons Waffle Fries £2 for 550g (£3.64 per kg) at Morrisons The small print: The Morrisons ones score slightly higher on the UPF ingredient front, as they contain flavouring, dextrose and paprika extract as well as 'raising agent (diphosphates)', while Leon's have only paprika extract and 'natural black pepper flavour'. But, oh dear – the salt. At 1.1g per 100g, Leon's have nearly three times as much as the Morrisons ones. The flavour: All but identical, though the Morrisons ones look slightly more speckled with paprika, and I detect a fraction more spicy heat in the Leon version. They taste like eating a bag of heated-up crisps: definitely not the stuff of everyday meals, methinks, so I can't get too uptight about the ultra-processed food factor. Winner: Morrisons – for flavour, price and salt content. Hot honey pizza High-street brand: Franco Manca Salami Onion Chilli Infused Honey Pizza £5.75 for 475g (£1.21 per 100g) at Tesco Supermarket brand: Tesco Finest Salsiccia Picante with Hot Honey Pizza £4.45 for 400g (£1.19 per 100g) at Tesco The small print: Other than a bit of xanthan gum in the honey drizzle, the Franco Manca pizza has a pretty good ingredients list but nearly 3.6g salt per half pizza serving – that's more than half your recommended daily maximum. The Tesco one (which has a blameless ingredients list) is much better at 2.3g, though that still puts it in the 'high salt' category. The flavour: The Franco Manca pizza is smaller (26cm across to Tesco's 28cm) but it has much more cheese – too much perhaps, as it's not great quality. Both have ten slices of sausage, and a sachet of 'chilli honey drizzle' which tastes like sweet chilli sauce. The base of the FM version is slightly better quality, with more puff at the edge and a nice chew, but Tesco's has pretty slices of fresh red chilli and rough chopped flat leaf parsley which make it feel more loved.
