Most obese people do not think they are unhealthy, says survey

A new survey has found that, with about a quarter of the people in the UK being classified as obese, most of these are in denial about the potential consequences of their weight on their continuing health.
The survey, of more than 2,000 people by Slimming World, showed that just 6 per cent of overweight people thought they should be described as obese, and that three quarters of participants with a body mass index (BMI) that classified them as obese underestimated their weight category.
With over 60 per cent of adults in England and around a third of 10 and 11 year-olds being overweight, it is expected that over 11 million people in the UK will become obese by 2030. Such figures are causing concern about the rising costs of obesity, as well as associated conditions such as diabetes and heart problems, for the NHS.
Jacquie Lavi, head of nutrition and research at the magazine, commented “This worrying new data reveals the complex psychological issues associated with being overweight. Many people, including many health professionals, believe that managing weight is just about energy balance, and that people simply need to ‘eat less and exercise more’.”
She added “However, that approach can never work while so many people deny how severely their weight could be affecting their health, or while they struggle with the emotional burden of being overweight, which can affect their confidence in their ability to make healthy lifestyle changes.”