Why do we as a nation worry so much about what we weigh? For most people ‘going on a diet’ is all about appearance, that is an all too frequently futile quest to shed the pounds in order to conform to the ultimate 21st Century Western image of beauty which includes, among other criteria, being as slim as possible. The numbers on the scale immediately pale into insignificance in comparison with more tangible goals like fitting into those favourite old jeans again, or being able to look good in an outrageous little black dress for that special occasion, or simply being able to believe it when a loved one says ‘You look great’.

As a society we increasingly value thinness as an attribute to be sought after, and many idolise those celebrities who succeed where so many ordinary folk have failed – in fact it is one of the great paradoxes of our culture that the more value we place on weighing as little as possible, the fatter we become. And since not looking the way we want to is not the only consequence of overweight and obesity, the fatter we become as a nation, the more health problems we have.

Obesity is strongly linked with numerous conditions, the most worrying of which include those associated with heart disease and stroke. Being overweight or obese has been shown to increase blood cholesterol and blood pressure and is also the main cause of metabolic syndrome. This is essentially a combination of high blood pressure, high cholesterol , high blood sugar levels and an increased waist measurement, all of which add up to a greatly increased risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes in the near future. 

A number of cancers also develop more frequently in people who are overweight or obese, particularly breast and bowel cancers together with cancer of the womb. It has been estimated that approximately 30% of cancer deaths in the UK could be avoided simply by changing what we as a population eat and drink, and the type of changes required would almost certainly cause most of us to lose weight. This is because it seems that the foods and lifestyle choices that are causing us to gain weight are the same as those associated with an increased risk of cancer.

Other conditions made worse by being overweight or obese include liver problems and gall bladder diseases (particularly gall stones), gynaecological problems such as difficult periods and infertility, breathing difficulties including sleep apnoea and asthma, psychological issues in the form of stress and depression, and arthritis.

So what does all of this mean for us? After all, half of women and two thirds of men in the UK are currently classified as either overweight or obese so, unusually for health issues, this one affects most of my readers.  And we place the blame for our predicament in so many places from bad genes to fat viruses, big bones and beyond. Evidence suggests that there may indeed be both a fat gene and a fat virus, but only accounting for up to half a stone of excess weight each, and there is no doubt that we live in an ‘obesogenic’ (that’s ‘fat causing’) culture with our sedentary lifestyles and cheap, easily accessible, calorie laden, super sized junk food, all of which can add up to a weight regulation disaster and persuade us to give up the fight for a normal sized healthy body.

Well thankfully, there is good news!  While being overweight makes most of the above conditions worse, the reverse is also true in that losing the excess pounds will improve them, sometimes to the point where they are simply not a problem any longer, this is particularly true of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

If you do weigh more than you should then there are various things I would recommend. Firstly, remember that ‘Predisposition is not predestination’ (I learned that from my very wise friend Sue Prosser!), so just because you come from an overweight family or have health issues that make it difficult to lose weight, don’t give up – you are not doomed to failure by any means. I would (of course!) suggest a visit to your GP, mainly to find out whether or not you have any medical conditions that would cause you to gain weight, and here I am mainly thinking about thyroid problems, although there are others. You could also ask them to assess whether or not you have developed any of the signs of metabolic syndrome by having your blood pressure, waist circumference and blood sugar and cholesterol levels checked. You may need help from your doctor to deal with those issues until your weight is back under control.

Exercise is such a great way to lose weight that I almost consider it to be cheating! For most people it is easy to do, it significantly increases weight loss and for any given weight you will look and feel better – result! Just 30 minutes a day doing something that makes you slightly out of breath but still able to talk, for instance a brisk walk or swimming, can have a huge impact on both your weight and overall health. If this all sounds too expensive or too much hassle then your GP can also prescribe exercise for you so that you attend your local leisure centre for a fitness assessment and exercise course at a greatly reduced cost.

I would also recommend avoiding a traditional ‘diet’ and instead finding a way to make long term lifestyle changes including dealing with the issues that led you to become overweight in the first place, and if you are reading this article (which is only being published on this website) then look no further, Fit For Life Forever covers all of that and more!

Over the next few months I will be looking at various medical issues related to weight and thinking about other things we could all do to help ourselves be not just slimmer but healthier too. Next month we will take a guided tour through the minefield that is diabetes, see you then!