Bigger bums in Britain cause increase in large toilet seat sales

The obesity epidemic in Britain is now so bad that we are being forced to splash the cash on larger sized toilet seats.  The Derby-based business “Gordon Ellis & Co”, has reported that their sales have doubled in the last two years for their expensive American imported “Big John” seats which they sell for £200.  These larger seats are 19inches wide, in comparison to a normal sized seat which is 14inces in width, and can withstand a whopping maximum weight of 60 stone.

Steven Evanson, Director of Gordon Ellis & Co said: “People are getting bigger, wider, and heavier. Why shouldn’t they have a comfortable time when they go to the toilet” He further added, “We tell them, ‘your bums aren’t too big – your toilet seat isn’t big enough’.” Clearly with rapidly expanding sales, the toilet seats have been a success and one customer from Manchester is pleased with her purchase: “My husband required a little more room and was breaking many toilet seats a year – the Big John put an end to that.”

As we have previously reported (http://www.medical-specialists.co.uk/news/2011/07/19/survey-shows-over-half-of-britain-are-%e2%80%9cfat%e2%80%9d-2/), figures show that roughly half of Brits are in the “overweight” category and with one in every 11 deaths being linked to weight issues; the problem is a serious one.

If you want to lose those extra pounds, Medical Specialists can help! Offering prescription and non-prescription genuine branded medications such as Xenical and Alli, we now boast even lower prices and have a vast wealth of knowledge and understanding about our patient’s feelings and the problems they incur.

Survey shows over half of Britain are “fat”

Analysts “Bioglan” have published a survey which shows almost half of the population are overweight or obese.  The survey shows that the Scottish are the heaviest, with 52% being classed as overweight or obese.  Northern Ireland, the North East, and the South East are bottom in the table, all tied with just 46%.

The survey would appear to indicate that East Anglia is the healthiest region in the UK.  Only 6% eat 2 or more takeaways per week, compared to the whopping 31% of Londoners who are gorging on more than 2 takeaway meals every week. In addition, only 7% of East Anglians claim to drink 14 or more alcoholic drinks per week in comparison to the heaviest drinkers in the North East and North West, whereby 13% of both regions admit to drinking more than 14 drinks every week.

Interestingly though, the survey is not entirely doom and gloom. It does show improving attitudes and habits to maintaining a good level of health.  For instance at least 60% of people in all regions claim that they go to the gym at least once a week, which is a positive sign. Moreover, there are many experts who claim that the Body Mass Index (BMI) that is used to calculate the level of an individual’s body fat, is unfair and prejudiced against those with high muscle mass.

However, for those looking to lose extra pounds, Medical Specialists can help! Offering prescription and non-prescription genuine branded medications such as Xenical and Alli, we now boast even lower prices and have a vast wealth of knowledge and understanding about our patient’s feelings and the problems they incur.

Average UK male weight up 16lb in 15 years, study finds

The average British man was more than a stone heavier in 2000 than he was in 1986, an Oxford University study found.

Scientists put the average weight rise of 7.7kg (16.9lb) down to men eating more calories and taking less physical exercise than 15 years earlier. The British Heart Foundation research in the British Journal of Nutrition analysed changes in food consumption and body weight between 1986 and 2000.

Women's average weight gain over the period was 5.4kg (11.9lb). By studying official figures on body weight from 1986 and 2000 and calculating the food energy available during that time, researchers were able to work out the expected extra food eaten by men and women during that period.

They predicted that the average man in 2000 ate more food than the average man in 1986 - enough to make him 4.7kg (10.3lb) heavier in weight. But the actual observed increase in average male weight turned out to be higher.

This was much more than expected, so the study concluded that a reduction in physical activity was behind the increased weight as well as the extra food. The extra food available in 2000 was enough to explain the increased weight in women compared to 1986 as well.

Now at the end of 2010 and looking towards 2011 what does the future hold for obesity in England?

Obesity rates '20% higher now than in the 1960s'

Despite UK’s love affair with high fat foods like condensed milk & microwave dinners, people enjoyed healthier lifestyles in the sixties than they do now, experts claim.
Although it was an era when people had less access to gyms, those overweight were also more likely to try to slim then.

It is thought that modern lifestyles have contributed the shift in people’s health. Fewer people now walk to work or school with more than double the proportion of people owning cars, while television ownership has risen from 75 per cent of households to almost 99 per cent.

The research, by the Change4Life health campaign, examined data from surveys in 1967 and compared the responses to a poll this year.
It reveals that in 1967, nine out of 10 people surveyed had tried to lose weight during that year but in 2010 that had fallen to just over half (57 per cent).
Of those considered overweight, only 7 per cent in 1967 had failed to do anything about it, while 43 per cent of people overweight today admitted taking steps to slim.
More than three-quarters of 1960s adults said that they walked for at least half an hour every day compared to only 42 per cent in 2010.
And although weight loss technology was still in its infancy, 2 per cent of people claimed to have used vibrating massage belts – the 60s equivalent of Power Plates – for weight loss in 1967.

Professor Oddy, the social historian and author of The Rise of Obesity in Europe: a Twentieth Century Food History, said: “Nowadays, our increasingly sedentary lives paired with the proliferation of a wide range of unhealthy foods have combined to create a very difficult environment for people to reach and maintain a healthy weight.”
In the 1960s only 1 per cent of men and 2 per cent of women in England were classed as obese compared to today’s 25.2 per cent of men and 27.7 per cent of women.
At the end of the 1950s, the average man weighed 10.2 stone (65kg) and the average woman 8.7 stone (55kg). Today the average weights are 13.2 stone (83.6kg) and 11.1 stone (70.2kg) respectively.

The health problems associated with obesity are numerous. Obesity is not just a cosmetic problem. It's a health hazard. Someone who is 40% overweight is twice as likely to die prematurely as is an average-weight person. This is because obesity has been linked to several serious medical conditions, including:
• Heart disease and stroke.
• High blood pressure.
• Diabetes.
• Cancer.
• Gallbladder disease and gallstones.
• Osteoarthritis.
• Erectile Dysfunction
• Gout.
• Breathing problems, such as sleep apnea (when a person stops breathing for a short time during sleep) and asthma.

Hollywood director too fat to fly

US director Kevin Smith (star of Dogma, Jay & slient Bob) was left embarrassed after he was asked to get of his flight from Oakland to Burbank because he was overweight.

Smith was shocked by the request, and the Clerks director claims he was told that his weight made him a safety risk.
The airline states that obese passengers must be able to lower both armrests or pay for two seats.

He said on his Twitter page: "I know I'm fat. But was [the flight captain] really justified in throwing me off a flight for which I was already seated?
"I'm way fat. But I'm not THERE just yet. But if I am, why wait till my bag is up and I'm seated WITH ARM RESTS DOWN in front of a packed plane with a bunch of folks who'd already IDed me as Silent Bob" (a character he has played in several of his films).
Smith was offered a £62 voucher as compensation, and managed to board a later flight with the airline.

Warning over counterfeit weight-loss capsules

Consumers are being advised about the dangers of buying medicines from unregulated websites.

27th January 2010 — The discovery of supplies of counterfeit alli, a weight-loss medication, has prompted a consumer warning from The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The fake capsules were found in the United States, but MHRA says people in the UK could be able to buy them on the internet.

alli is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and is available over the counter in the UK with the genuine product containing the active ingredient orlistat or commanly known as Xenical.

The Food and Drug Administration in the US has been working with GSK. Laboratory testing of the suspected counterfeit product, 60mg alli capsules (120 capsule refill kit), have revealed it contained sibutramine instead of orlistat.
Europe-wide medication alert

Last week the European Medicines Agency recommended that the licence for sibutramine should be suspended across Europe because evidence suggested it caused a higher risk of non-fatal heart attacks and strokes.

Mick Deats, Head of Enforcement at MHRA, has issued a warning about the dangers of buying medicines from unregulated internet pharmacies. “The trend of self-diagnosing and self-prescribing is potentially dangerous,” Mr Deats says in a statement on the Agency’s website.

He adds that “Buying weight loss medication from unregulated websites is a dangerous way to slim down. You don’t know what you’re taking and your condition is not being monitored by a healthcare professional. It’s just not worth taking that type of risk.”
Checking it’s the genuine article

The MHRA advises consumers to check that the website has a physical address that’s clearly displayed and the green cross logo of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.

The Agency says counterfeit alli has some obvious differences from the genuine product:

* The fake product has no Lot code on the end flap of the outer packaging.
* The fake medication has a plain foil inner safety seal under the plastic cap, without any printed words – the authentic product seal is marked “sealed for your protection”.
* The counterfeit capsules contain white powder instead of small white pellets.

Furthermore, in the UK the genuine capsules are not available in packs of 120; they’re only available in smaller packs of 42 or 84.
Buy from registered pharmacies: Manufacturer

Emma Boran, a spokeswoman for GSK, sent us a statement saying: “GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare in the US has identified a small quantity of fake weight loss product, falsely packaged and labelled as alli sold on US online auction websites, such as eBay.com.

“GlaxoSmithKline fully supports the MHRA warning concerning purchasing medicines from unregistered websites. All retail pharmacies in Great Britain, including those providing internet services, must be registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.

“Consumer should only buy alli online from safe and trusted registered pharmacy websites such as those of high street retailers. GSK does not condone illegal sales of alli from websites not authorised to make such sales and recommends that users check the authenticity of the online pharmacy they are looking to purchase alli from.”
The MHRA says anyone with concerns should ask their pharmacist or their GP for advice. Consumers can report any suspected counterfeit alli to the 24-hour MHRA Counterfeit Hotline on 020 7084 2701 or email counterfeit@mhra.gsi.gov.uk.

Reductil Banned as risks outweigh benefits

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has completed a review of the obesity medicine sibutramine (Reductil) on the basis of new safety information from a large clinical trial, the Sibutramine Cardiovascular OUTcomes (SCOUT) study. The review has found that the cardiovascular risks of sibutramine outweigh its benefits. The EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended suspension of the marketing authorisation for this medicine across the European Union.

Further information is available on the EMA website.

Pharmacists are now unable to dispense Reductil and Doctors are also unable to write prescriptions for the obesity medication.

If you are looking for some help with losing some weight after the New Year Xenical is still the best option as Xenical is a lipase inhibitor and does not enter the patient's blood stream, but works in the digestive system in the small intestine as a fat absorber. It blocks out a third of the fat in food eaten in a patient's diet, leading to steady weight loss. Buy Xenical online at www.medical-specialists.co.uk

Council to impose 'No Fry Zone' around primary schools in drive against obesity

Lewisham Council is considering adopting the radical proposal of a 1,300ft 'No Fry Zone' around all of its 65 primary schools after it was revealed that one in four 10-year-old children are obese. If agreed by councillors later this month it would mean that no new fast food shops - such as fried chicken shops and burger bars - will be allowed to open within 400m of a school.
So if children want to visit a fast food shop at lunch time they will have to walk over a 800m to get there hands on a fattening lunch - hopefully burning some calories off on the way.
With a distance of just over half a mile, a brisk walk to the nearest takeaway and back to school would take at least 10 minutes.

Councillor Ute Michel, of the Green Party, said the proposal was being put forward to full council later this month. She said: 'Our children's health actually gets far worse rather than better during their time in school. 'Despite making progress in making school meals healthier and teaching about healthy diets, takeaways are fuelling junk food culture just outside the school gate undoing much of that good work.'

She said that council chiefs would also work with existing takeaways - who will not have to close under the proposals - to provide 'healthier options' on their menus.
Adele Greenway, who has two children aged six and nine, said there was still time for a child to walk to a takeaway at break time.

She said: 'It's all very well encouraging children not to eat greasy fried food, but with a lunch break of 50 minutes that gives them plenty of time to nip to the kebab shop for a burger and chips even if it's 10 minutes there and back.
'At least the kids will be getting some exercise and burning off the calories, but they'll still be eating lord knows how many calories.'

Takeaway shop worker Khalid Mohammed said the scheme wouldn't stop kids getting their hands on unhealthy food.
He said: 'Whether they put the no fry zone in place or not doesn't really matter.
'If someone wants chips and a burger or fried chicken they will walk the five minutes it takes to get there. 'All it is is a hassle for them - they'll still make the trip and they'll probably take orders from all their classmates too.'
Waltham Forest Council in East London pioneered the scheme last year after 93 per cent of locals backed the plan.

Obese passengers to be charged double to fly with Air France

Obese passengers who are unable to fit into a single plane seat are to be charged double to fly with Air France. Obese flyers will be asked to pay double, or not be allowed on board for 'safety reasons', the airline announced today.
Air France spokeswoman Monique Matze added: 'People who arrive at the check-in desk and are deemed too large to fit into a single seat will be asked to pay for and use a second seat. They will be charged 75 per cent of the cost of the second seat, which is the full price excluding tax and surcharges, on top of the full price for the first.
"The decision has been made for safety reasons. 'We have to make sure that the backrest can move freely up and down and that all passengers are securely fastened with a safety belt.'

The average economy class seat on most planes is between 43cm wide and 44cm wide, Ms Matze said. She added: 'People who cannot fit into a single seat will then be fastened by slotting the belt tip of one seat into the plug of the next, stretching over both seats. 'However the charge will only apply on flights that are full booked. They will get their money back on flights where spaces are available.'

The overweight charges come two years after Air France was ordered to pay £5,000 damages for 'humiliation' to a 27-stone passenger who had his stomach measured at an airport check-in desk. He was told to buy two seats.
Frenchman Jean-Jacques Jauffret, 43, was measured by Air France staff with other passengers looking on as he tried to board a flight from New Dehli to Paris.
Cinema screen-writer Mr Jauffret said at the time: 'The woman came out from behind the check-in desk with a tape measure and measured my waist in front of dozens of other people.
'Then she looked at me and said, 'People as fat as you need to buy two seats'. 'I asked her if there was a chance I could simply have an empty seat beside me, but she said the flight was almost full. 'It was highly embarrassing, and the law has now recognised the humiliation I suffered.'

British Airways has no weight limits for passengers, but advises overweight people to buy a second seat for their own comfort and safety if necessary.
In America, budget carrier Southwest Airlines caused outrage when it announced in 2006 that it would charge overweight people for two seats. Southwest said it was simply enforcing a long-standing unwritten policy of charging passengers who encroach on the space of those seated around them.
Air France's new charges will apply for people who book their tickets from February 1 for all flights from April 1, the airline said.