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What we know
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| What we know | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Obesity has been recognised as a major public health problem in Northern Ireland for a number of years. It is well recognised that overweight and obesity increases the risk of this country’s biggest killer diseases – coronary heart disease and cancer – as well as diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoarthritis. A wide variety of factors can influence weight gain and hence the number of people who are overweight and obese. Health experts have warned that, if current trends continued, at least a third of adults in Britain would be obese by 2020 - at the moment the figure stands at one in five. The devastating consequences of the epidemic of obesity are likely to have a profound impact over the next century. Body weight is controlled by the physiological
balance between energy intake as food and drink and energy expenditure
in activities of daily living such as work and leisure. Excess weight
gain in adults usually starts in 20-40 year olds with maximum body
weight usually being reached in middle age. Obesity
is measured using the Body Mass Index (BMI) to take into account
the expected difference in weight of adults of different heights.
This is calculated in weight in kilograms divided by height in metres
squared. A healthy BMI is considered to be between 20 and 25. A
person with a BMI greater or equal to 25 and less that 30 is considered
to be pre-obese (overweight),
while a BMI or 30 or more is defined as obese. Obesity
can be further sub-divided into those who are severely obese (BMI>35)
and those who are morbidly obese (BMI>40). |
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| What information do we have about the Eastern Board area? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The 1994 Northern Ireland Health and Activity Survey found that 42% of males aged 16 and over were overweight, while a further 16% were obese. Over one third (35%) of females aged 16 or over were overweight and 21% were obese. More recently, the 2002 Health and Lifestyle Survey found that nearly half (46%) of males aged 18 and over were overweight and 16% were obese. 31% of females aged 18 or over were overweight and 17% were obese. The Health and Lifestyle Survey indicated similar trends in the Eastern Board area for overweight adults but significantly, figures are lower than the Northern Ireland average for obese adults. In the Eastern Board 46.2% of males and 32.2% of females were overweight (compared to a Northern Ireland average of 46% and 31% respectively) and 14.6% of males and 14.5% of females were obese (compared to Northern Ireland figures of 16% and 17% respectively). One
study on children’s weight (Yarnell et al, 2001) which looked
at the prevalence and awareness of excess weight in 13 and 14 year
olds in Northern Ireland found that 16% of boys were overweight
and 4% were obese. The proportion of girls who were overweight
was also 16%, however the prevalence of obesity
in girls was lower at 2%. Please click on the relvant section for more information on healthy eating and physical activity. |
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| What is the result of this on our health locally? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Obesity has significant financial costs both to the NHS and the wider economy. Levels of obesity are rising and the consequences are serious. A number of behavioural, psychological, physiological, medical and therapeutic factors in addition to familial predisposition genetics, social class and ethnicity may induce weight gain. Behavioural
Psychological
Physiological
Medical and therapeutic
Familial predisposition and genetics
Social class
Ethnicity
As well as increasing mortality, it is well established that obesity is also associated with increasing the risk of many serious diseases. Obesity is associated with increase risk of:
Emphasis is required in primary care in the
detection and treatment of obesity. The training and development
of staff in the management of overweight individuals and groups
is also of major importance. There is vital link between health,
leisure and commercial interests in the development of weight management
programmes which include physical activity and long-term support. |
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| Policies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Investing For Health strategy 2002 endorses the need for a balanced, healthy and affordable diet to be more readily available to everyone as does “Eating and Health “, the food and nutrition strategy for Northern Ireland. The New Targeting Social Need policy aims to tackle poverty and exclusion and hence is relevant in considering the promotion of healthy, affordable nutrition. The Northern Ireland Physical Activity Strategy acknowledges the importance of diet for health. The Northern Ireland Oral Health Strategy and the subsequent mid term evaluation report (2001) highlight the promotion of healthy nutrition as an integral part of oral health promotion messages and of the importance of multidisciplinary working in this regard. A new strategy is likely to be published in 2005 and will further emphasise the need for an integrated approach. A number of Local Health and Social Care
Groups are targeting nutrition related diseases such as obesity
and dental health as part of their primary care investment plans. |
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| What is happening in the Eastern Board area? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| There
is a Physical Activity Co-ordinator employed in the EHSSB,
who facilitates development of area wide physical activity initiatives.
Please refer to the Physical Activity section of this site.
School
Nutrition Standards – Catering for Healthier Lifestyles Breakfast Clubs School Nutrition
Action Groups Cook - It Fruit and Vegetable
Gardens Holistic Approach
to Obesity Management Nutrition Updates
for Health Visitors Weight Control Programme Other Work
Fit Futures The taskforce initiative Fit Futures: Focus on food, activity and young people was lauched by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in August 2004. The role of the taskforce is to consider and evaluate options for tackling overweight and obesity in children and young people. Recommendations for priorities for action will be made to the Ministerial Group on Public Health and will inform a revised physical activity strategy and action plan and the food and nutrition strategy.
References Health Promotion Agency (2002) Health and Lifestyle Survey for Northern Ireland MacAuley D, Crum EE, Stott G, Evans AE, Sweeney K, Trinick T and Boreham CAG (1994) The Northern Ireland Health and Activity Survey. Belfast: HSMO Yarnell, JWG, McCrum EE, Paterson CC, Skidmore
P, Shields MD, McMahon J and Evans AE (2001) Prevalence and awareness
of excess weight In 13 and 14 year olds in Northern Ireland using
recent international guidelines. Acta Paediatrica, 90, 1435-1439
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For further information on this topic please contact us at publichealth@ehssb.n-i.nhs.uk Eastern Health and Social Services Board Champion
House, 12-22 Linenhall Street, Belfast BT2 8BS Telephone: (028)
9032 1313 Fax: (028) 9055 3681 Text Phone:(028) 9032 4980 Website:
www.ehssb.org
E-mail: pr@ehssb.n-i.nhs.uk |
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