If you are overweight or obese and are now deciding to lose weight,
what are your motivators for doing so? Maybe it’s the dangerous health
risks involved with carrying extra weight such as high cholesterol, high
blood pressure and diabetes. Or maybe you could have received a shock
upon seeing a holiday picture, or simply want to look more appealing to
the opposite sex.
Whatever the trigger is for deciding to lose weight, it seems that
compared to previous years, it now takes Brits a lot more gained weight
before we open our eyes and realise something needs to be done about the
situation – what has been referred to as ‘fat blindness’.
New figures indicate that it takes until
the scales tip 13st 10lbs until the average person decides that they
need to spring into action and rectify their spiralling weight.
Weight Watchers have compiled statistics that give an interesting
insight into when people decided to lose weight in the current day
compared to years gone by. The weight loss group document the weight of
all new members upon subscription – primarily women, but some men do
sign-up to Weight Watchers as well.
The stats show that average start weight of the group’s members has
been gradually increasing since 1989 when the figure stood at just over
12 stone to the 13st 10lb it stands at today – representing a rise of
over 10%.
With regards to Body Mass Index (BMI), the average new member’s
starting weight has gone up from 29.2 in 1989 to 32 in the present day.
Therefore, the average weight of a new Weight Watchers member is more
often than not going to be classed as obese (with a BMI of over 30) and
last year alone there were a staggering 850,000 new members joining to
Weight Watchers groups all around the UK.
However, it gets worse. Shocking figures to emerge yesterday from the
NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre claim that 65% of men and
58% of women are now classed as overweight or obese. It seems Britain’s
obesity epidemic shows no signs of improving anytime soon.
Weight Watchers say that these are the top seven reasons that prompt people to lose weight:
. Unflattering photos.
. Poor health.
. Friends or family losing weight.
. Not wanting to be fat for a milestone birthday.
. Wanting to keep up with children or grandchildren.
. Being called names in the street.
. Getting married.
Zoe Hellman, Head of Public Health at Weight Watchers said: “The
inability to recognise what an overweight or obese body looks like is a
symptom of how out of touch we are with a healthy weight and shape.
We’re suffering from ‘fat blindness’, which is causing people to delay
seeking help until they are significantly overweight. Where obesity was
the exception, sadly it is rapidly becoming the rule. It’s time to buck
the trend. We’re here to help people make a positive change in their
lives by teaching them to make smarter, better informed food choices for
long term, sustainable weight loss. Though losing weight may be
daunting, especially for those with a significant amount of weight to
lose, dropping just 5-10 per cent of your body weight can significantly
improve your health. It’s natural to judge ourselves based on
comparisons of those around us. So unfortunately, the more people who
are overweight and obese, the more ‘normal’ it becomes. This phenomenon
helps to make being overweight much more acceptable, reducing any
pressure to make healthy lifestyle changes or seek support. It may also
mean those who are overweight fail to recognise they have a problem with
their weight at all.”
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