By Sunil Patel
The East Midlands has topped the obesity table due to a combination of social factors including a decline of physically intensive activity and poorer attitude to health matters, says an obesity expert.
According to Professor Ian Macdonald, people in North Nottinghamshire have had a poor Body Mass Index (BMI) – calculated by the height to weight ratio of a person – for some years as a result of the demise of the heavy coal industry.
There needs to be a fundamental shift in people’s health attitudes as the region has been dogged by higher levels of smoking and teenage pregnancy that other parts of the country, the professor argues.
People in the East Midlands had the average BMI of 28.9 recent figures from by Slimming world and YouGov show.
If a person has a BMI between 25 and 29.9 they will be classed as being overweight.
Professor Macdonald believes simply telling people who are obese to change will not work, he said: “Changes in lifestyle are essential, combined with a change in people's attitude to food and physical activity.
Once people are convinced into maintaining a healthy weight then the government and food industry will have a part to play too.
Professor Macdonald said: “Food producers will have to provide healthier diets with smaller portions of lower energy foods.
"People need to be provided with more opportunities to be active (walking/cycling/exercise clubs) and less encouragement to be sedentary (fewer car journeys, less TV watching and computer use for leisure)."
The East Midlands has topped the obesity table due to a combination of social factors including a decline of physically intensive activity and poorer attitude to health matters, says an obesity expert.
According to Professor Ian Macdonald, people in North Nottinghamshire have had a poor Body Mass Index (BMI) – calculated by the height to weight ratio of a person – for some years as a result of the demise of the heavy coal industry.
There needs to be a fundamental shift in people’s health attitudes as the region has been dogged by higher levels of smoking and teenage pregnancy that other parts of the country, the professor argues.
People in the East Midlands had the average BMI of 28.9 recent figures from by Slimming world and YouGov show.
If a person has a BMI between 25 and 29.9 they will be classed as being overweight.
Professor Macdonald believes simply telling people who are obese to change will not work, he said: “Changes in lifestyle are essential, combined with a change in people's attitude to food and physical activity.
Once people are convinced into maintaining a healthy weight then the government and food industry will have a part to play too.
Professor Macdonald said: “Food producers will have to provide healthier diets with smaller portions of lower energy foods.
"People need to be provided with more opportunities to be active (walking/cycling/exercise clubs) and less encouragement to be sedentary (fewer car journeys, less TV watching and computer use for leisure)."
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