Understand the ten essential facts about obesity
All healthcare professionals should know and understand the ‘Ten essential facts about obesity’.
The Royal College of Physicians [1] notes that:
- In the UK 1 in 4 adults are obese (2012).
- In the UK 1 in 5 children aged 10–11 are obese (2011).
- Obesity is strongly heritable (60% of weight variance is attributed to heredity) yet currently known gene mutations and polymorphisms account for <5% of weight variability.
- Diagnosis by BMI requires measuring height and weight accurately; risk stratification in overweight and modest obesity requires measuring waist circumference and possibly the use of a clinical staging system (Edmonton Obesity Staging System (EOSS)).
- Prevention and long-term weight loss maintenance require sustained changes in diet and physical activity habits.
- Obesity is a major risk factor in diabetes (5 x), cancer (3 x the risk of colon cancer), and heart disease (2.5 x).
- Obesity is a major cause of health inequality and impaired quality of life and costs the NHS £5.0bn per year (2012).
- Modest weight loss (~10 kg) helps to improve diabetes, improves quality of life and reduces morbidity.
- An energy deficit of only 100 calories per day predicts a 0.5 kg weight loss in a month.
- Cost-effective treatments in appropriate patients include weight loss programmes (commercial: e.g. WeightWatchers; GP delivered: eg Counterweight); pharmacotherapy (egorlistat); and bariatric surgery.