Diet & Fitness 

Advertisement

The growing problem of obesity

With the occurrence of obesity almost trebling since the 1980s, Dr Wynnie Chan investigates the powerful role of 'fat teasing'

The World Health Organisation has described obesity as being a 'worldwide epidemic', and it has been estimated that around a quarter of a million people are obese (Obesity Resource Information Centre, 2000). In England alone, about one in five adults are classified as being obese and over half of women and nearly two thirds of men are either overweight or obese (National Audit Office, 2001).

In its report on 'Tackling Obesity in England', the National Audit Office last year stated that obesity is increasing more rapidly in the UK than other parts of Europe and that the deaths linked to obesity shorten lives by an average of nine years (obesity is a risk factor for many chronic diseases that can lead to death such as heart disease, strokes, diabetes and some cancers).

Weight 'mistreatment'
While the physical health risks of obesity are well established, the psychological relationship between this disease and emotional well-being has received less attention by researchers. Unfortunately many societies view overweight and obesity in a negative way, with obese people facing social rejection. According to Dr Andrew Hill, a chartered psychologist and senior lecturer at Leeds University School of Medicine, studies of stereotyping show that adults view obese people as undisciplined, inactive and unappealing; they are also associated with emotional or psychological problems.

These negative views tended to be expressed by people who are leaner, younger, female and from a higher socio-economic background. Weight 'mistreatments' are reported by over 40% of obese adults. Research conducted by Drs A Myers and J Rosen and published in the International Journal of Obesity in 1999 have reported the most common humiliating situations encountered by obese people:

• 'As an adult, having a child make fun of you.'
• 'A child coming up and saying something like 'you're fat'.'
• 'Having people assume you have emotional problems because you're overweight.'
• 'Not being able to find clothes that fit.'
• 'A doctor blaming unrelated physical problems on your weight.'

RATE IT

Delicious     Digg     reddit     Facebook     StumbleUpon

  Get the latest iVillage news on your desktop    Sign up for more iVillage RSS feeds

© iVillage Limited 2000-2008. All rights reserved. | © iVillage inc. 1995-2008. All rights reserved.
iVillage Ltd is a UK company registered in England & Wales (3837269) at 80-110 New Oxford Street, London WC1 1HB