Most Londoners Cannot Run a Mile

London is trying to build an image for itself as a super-fit city ready for the 2012 Olympic Games, but London took a knock today as research showed that more than three-quarters of the population could not run one mile. A new survey claimed a third of all Londoners could climb only three flights of stairs before stopping for breath and half cannot touch their toes. The research also disclosed a lack of understanding about exercise, with over half of participants claiming to be very confused about what they should be doing to keep fit. Nationally, two thirds of Britons cannot do 20 sit-ups and more than two thirds do no fast-paced exercise at all. Fred Turok, chairman the leading UK chain of gyms LA Fitness, which commissioned the research, said: "These worryingly low levels of fitness will ultimately ignite the time bomb that is the obesity issue." London Fitness Facts, and Action You Can Take: More than one in three Londoners cannot climb three flights of stairs without getting out of breath - if you work in a tall building, test yourself at work by taking the stairs instead of the lift. 75% of Londoners can't run a mile - Even if you are unfit and have not run in years, you should be able to comfortably run (or jog, or even plod) a mile in 15 minutes. In fact, average walking pace is 15 minutes to the mile. So test yourself. Get some trainers (ensure that they are road running shoes) and go for a 15 minute jog. Half of Londoners cannot touch their toes - This is a trickier one. Even people that do regular exercise often find that they cannot touch their toes. So, after exercising, or as soon as you have warmed your muscles up, do some stretching exercises - stretch up to the sky, then down to the floor. Repeat a few times. In time, flexibility will increase. 72% of Londoners do not know their weight, or what it should be. Many people live in denial of their ill health, and many are ignorant of the fact that they are overweight. Weigh yourself, and check your body mass index. Unless you are a rugby player or professional sumo wrestler, your body mass index should not really be over 30 (this is considered obese), and ideally it should be between 20 and 25.

Government Considering Paying Obese People to Lose Weight

As the obesity epidemic continues to increase, with almost 25% of the British population now officially obese (according to the Body Mass Index), action is needed to at least halt, and ideally reverse, this growing epidemic. If nothing is done, then it is estimated that by 2050 obesity will affect 60% of the population. Fortunately the government is now taking action. A £372 million incentive scheme is aimed at making Britain the first country in the world to reverse the rising obesity levels. Initiatives, which will be tested in a few selected areas at first, include a single food labelling system, measures to boost walking and cycling and extra controls on junk food advertising to children. Measures in the USA, which have showed some positive results, include offering obese adults $14 for every 1% reduction in their body weight. With such an incentive, adults were found to be five times more likely to reach their weight loss target. Some English counties are already providing free fitness classes for obese adults. The Chief Instructor at 5 Elements Martial Arts in Basildon has been approached by local government to devise a series of exercise classes for patients referred by the NHS. Classes will involve simple exercises to introduce cardio and strength training, combined with some kick-boxing moves, and will aim to show that exercise can be enjoyable. This is not a new initiative though, as in 2006 dance classes were provided on the National Health Service as part of a pilot scheme to reduce obesity. And before that, in February 2004, the Sutton and Merton Primary Care Trust (PCT) in south west London subsidised diet and fitness classes for 20 people picked from seven surgeries. This was funded by the National Lottery's New Opportunities fund. Not all members of parliament were in favour however. Tory MP Ann Widdecombe suggested that people could dance around in their own homes or go for walks rather than have dance classes on the NHS. However Patricia Hewitt, the Health Secretary at the time, believed that intervening at key points will encourage healthier behaviour and save money for the NHS in the long term. Hopefully the new initiative will form a blueprint for the future. If anything can be learnt from the past four years, it is that initiatives need to lead to greater things, or they will be quickly forgotten by government in favour of a new scheme, and local councils will lose funding before they have had time to report on their success.

Is your child obese? Check with an online test.

The Daily Mail reports on the latest UK Government initiative to try to combat the rise of obesity amongst the nation's children. The Department of Health has recently stated that soon parents will be encouraged to use an online test to check if their child is obese. A child's height and weight will be measured at primary school and the results sent to them in a letter. The letter will provide a link to a website which will calculate the BMI of the child, and provide guidance on healthy eating and exercise, as well as promote local services. If you wish to check your, or your child's body mass index now, you can do so with our BMI Calculator "Obesity rates in England have more than tripled since the 1980s. About one in five adults are obese and more than half either obese or overweight - almost 24 million people." As more and more children start to shown signs of obesity from a younger age each year, it is essential to get a hold on this epidemic as soon as possible, and to do so requires that young children, from the age of 5, are receiving a healthy diet and plenty of regular exercise as part of their schooling and home life.

Even a small pot belly can increase the risk of heart disease

Getting fit and reducing your body mass index alone are not enough to reduce risk of heart disease. Many people take regular gentle exercise in the hope that they ward of heart disease, however recent research suggests that even a small pot belly / beer belly can increase the risk of developing heart disease. "Research from the University of Texas found large waist measurements, relative to hip size, were linked to early signs of heart disease. This confirms other research that waist size, rather than overall body weight, is a key indicator of heart disease. The study of 2,744 people suggests that a waist size of 32ins (81cm) for a woman and 37ins (94cm) for a man represents a "significant" raised risk. The report was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology." Abdominal fat risks: "And waist-to-hip ratio was more closely linked to these early signs of heart disease than either body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference alone. BMI is widely used to assess relative body weight, and is calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in metres. Even a waist circumference of 32in (81.3cm) for a woman, and 37in (94cm) for a man represents a "significant" raised risk." So, the key is to ensure that you reduce your belly fat, and to get your waist circumference to below 94cm if you are a man, and 81cm if you are a woman. To get started in reducing you waist circumference, read this article on how to lose belly fat

Diet Pill to make dieters feel full has been invented

Scientists from Italy's National Research Council have developed a new style of diet pill. Once eaten it expands in the stomach to make the dieter feel full. The effect can last several hours, during which the diet does not feel hungry. It is made from a hydrogel, which the team developed when trying to make more absorbent nappy linings. It is thought that the pill may help to fight the obesity epidemic. Testing so far has been limited, and before the diet pill can be marketed further testing and research needs to be carried out. Head of research, Professor Luigi Ambrosio, realised that hydrogel may have a similar effect to gastric banding - a surgical procedure that reduces the size of the stomach. Gastric banding is a very risky procedure and can cause long term damage to the stomach. It is thought that this new diet pill will not have any long term effects. The diet pill is powdery when dry but when swallowed with a glass of water turns to a jelly-like ball in the stomach. It is made from an organic compound called cellulose and can be flushed out by the body. The diet pill has not been named yet, but it is being tested in a further 90 overweight volunteers who will be monitored to see how much weight they lose and if there are any adverse effects. Professor Ambrosio said the pill should be taken about 30 minutes to one hour before each meal. It passes through the digestive system within five to six hours. "One of our researchers tried the pill - he took it at about 11am and was still full at six in the evening. He said people could still eat a meal but would only need small portions. "We expect the results of the trial in October and they we will try to launch the product in May 2008." Professor Paul Hatton, leader of the Biomaterials Research Group at the University of Sheffield said the idea was "intuitive". "There are plenty of ways of making hydrogels that are safe, they are used in medicines and prostheses. "In principle it seems possible but there would have to be a lot of safety testing." Dr David Haslam, clinical director of the National Obesity Forum said there had been products around for many years which had tried to produce a feeling of fullness. "The theory has been tried and tested in the past but it's not been that successful. "We'd need much bigger trials but it's a reasonable enough idea. "However, it would have to be given with the appropriate nutritional advice, you can't live on such tablets." Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6252720.stm

Concern over anti-obesity drugs

"Better data on the long-term effects of anti-obesity drugs is needed before more widespread use of the therapies, a Canadian study says. Researchers said such drugs would become more important in the future to combat the growing obesity crisis. But the University of Alberta Hospital said in the Lancet that data on drugs already in use was limited particularly over cardiovascular outcomes." This provides further proof that surgery and medication are not the best ways to go about tackling obesity. People need more support in the form of encouragement to exercises and to eat healthily. If the same money was spent on a descent support structure as is spent on researching and testing drugs to tackle obesity, then it is possible that the situation would not be as dire as it is today. The BBC article does go on to state that the drugs should really be limited to help "if someone's diabetes is out of control or if they need to lose weight for an operation." Nothing really beats a healthy diet and exercise, and education and encouragement of these thing from an early age.

Junk food ad crackdown 'flawed' - BBC Health News

The BBC reports that the plans to ban the advertising of junk food on television before the 9pm watershed is flawed. "A crackdown on junk food advertising to children will not be effective as the programmes most watched by children will not be covered, campaigners say. Ads for unhealthy food are to be banned from the end of March (2007) during TV shows targeted at under-16s, Ofcom has said." It seems that the the only channels to be fully affected are the specialist childrens channels on digital television. Many children under the age of 16 watch television show aimed at an older audience with their families, such as chat shows such as Parkinson, and also the evening news on the ITV network. It is estimated that more children watch these channels than those that watch the channels that will have the advertising bans. It seems that commercial interests have managed to win the day once again in the battle against obesity.

Obesity 'could bankrupt the NHS'

The BBC reports that the rising incidence of obesity in the UK threatens to cripple the NHS with increased cases of obesity related illnesses such as diabete, cancer, heart disease and stroke. "Experts, including government A&E tsar George Alberti and Glasgow University professor Naveed Sattar, said obesity treatment took up 9% of the NHS budget." With the rates of obesity set to increase further, unless the current trend can be abated, the NHS could be in serious trouble in the forthcoming decades. The only consolation is that the new laws on smoking that are due to come in next summer (2007) should alleviate the number of cases of smoking related illness, which is also a great drain on NHS resources. Professor Sattar, an expert in metabolic medicine, said that the general public "clearly have some responsibility for their health". It is up to us to take action to look after our own health, the health of our loved ones and those in our community. The forthcoming New Year is a good time to make resolutions to improve our diets and increase the amount of exercise we take.

What causes obesity?

If you are still unsure of what causes obesity, then the following will help you to better understand this common condition. More people are becoming obese each year in the UK. "Genes Some people have a tendency to gain weight easily, whereas others seem to stay the same weight for many years without any conscious effort. These differences may be due to genetic factors. Food People who tend to choose foods that are high in fat or contain a lot of energy (calories) in just a small portion are more likely to gain weight than people who fill their plates with bulky but low-energy foods, such as bread, potatoes and vegetables. Physical activity People who lead an active life are much less likely to gain weight than those who spend most of their day sitting in front of a computer or the TV, or in the car." Remember that a healthy diet and regular exercise can help reverse this situation. If you are obese, remember the patience and perseverence will get you back to a healthy weight again. Keep a food diary, and start exercising more.