Citerank: (12) 352521Not building exercise into daily life A primary cause of the rise in obesity in the UK in recent decades has been a decline in energy expended rather than rise in energy intake; with the changing pattern towards more sedentary lifestyles appearing to be a key factor in this.555CD992, 371570Measuring diet at a societal level is an inexact scienceMeasuring diet at a societal level is an inexact science – as researchers generally have to rely on people keeping track of what they eat over a period of several days – and people may be inclined to under report their consumption patterns. Evidence suggests that people may throw away about 10-20% of the food they buy and underreport how much they eat by around 20–40%.8FFB597, 371611Changing patterns of physical activityTechnological development and urbanisation bring significant shifts in the patterns of daily activity that can reduce the amount of energy people expend in their normal daily routines.555CD992, 371615Self-reported physical activity is increasingThe number of people who are self-reporting as meeting the government's recommendation of taking 30 minutes vigorous exercise five times a week rose from 26.5 per cent to 37.5 per cent between 1997 and 2012. [3]13EF597B, 371616A minority of people are meeting the recommendationsAlthough the number of people self-reporting as meeting the government's recommendations is rising, the total number remains a minority of the population.13EF597B, 371617The recommendations relate only to leisure activitiesThe government recommendations, on which people are self-reporting, relate only to leisure activities – and other lifestyle factors (especially the increasingly sedentary patterns of behaviour) may be more significant in this context.13EF597B, 399908Not building exercise into daily life The primary cause of the rise in obesity in the UK in recent decades has not been a decline in energy expended rather than rise in energy intake; with the changing pattern towards more sedentary lifestyles appearing to be a key factor in this.555CD992, 399933Self-reported physical activity is increasingThe number of people who are self-reporting as meeting the government's recommendation of taking 30 minutes vigorous exercise five times a week rose rose from 26.5 per cent to 37.5 per cent between 1997 and 2012. [3]13EF597B, 399957A minority of people are meeting the recommendationsAlthough the number of people self-reporting as meeting the government's recommendations is rising, the total number remains a minority of the population.13EF597B, 399958The recommendations relate only to leisure activitiesThe government recommendations, on which people are self-reporting, relate only to leisure activities – and other lifestyle factors (especially the increasingly sedentary patterns of behaviour) may be more significant in this context.13EF597B, 399961Per capita sugar consumption has fallen by 16% since 1992Evidence suggests that per capita consumption of sugar, salt, fat and calories has been falling in Britain for decades. Per capita sugar consumption has fallen by 16 per cent since 1992 and per capita calorie consumption has fallen by 21 per cent since 1974.13EF597B, 399963Measuring diet at a societal level is an inexact scienceMeasuring diet at a societal level is an inexact science – as researchers generally have to rely on people keeping track of what they eat over a period of several days – and people may be inclined to under report their consumption patterns. Evidence suggests that people may throw away about 10-20% of the food they buy and underreport how much they eat by around 20–40%.8FFB597

All the evidence indicates that per capita consumption of sugar, salt, fat and calories has been falling in Britain for decades. Per capita sugar consumption has fallen by 16 per cent since 1992 and per capita calorie consumption has fallen by 21 per cent since 1974.

Since 2002, the average body weight of English adults has increased by two kilograms. This has coincided with a decline in calorie consumption of 4.1 per cent and a decline in sugar consumption of 7.4 per cent.

The rise in obesity has been primarily caused by a decline in physical activity at home and in the workplace, not an increase in sugar, fat or calorie consumption.

Overall intake of calories, fat and saturated fat has decreased since the 1970s. This trend is accompanied by a decrease in sugar and salt intake, and an increase in fibre and fruit and vegetable intake.