Body weight is determined by energy intake from food and energy output, i.e. energy needed for basic body processes (such as keeping the heart beating) and for physical activity.
If a person regularly takes in even a little more energy from their diet than they need, they will start to gain weight and eventually become overweight.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) projected in 2005 that there were approximately 1.6 billion overweight adults (age +15) and 400 million obese adults.
WHO estimated at least 20 million children under the age of 5 years were overweight in 2005.
Over the last 25 years the number of adults who are obese is almost four times as great.
Two thirds of UK adults are now considered overweight. Of these, 22% of men and 23% of women are considered obese.
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Fat storage
It is normal to store fat during growth, particularly during infancy and adolescence. It is therefore difficult to measure obesity in children.
The NHS data (2005) shows the number of obese children has tripled over the last 20 years. At least 10% of six-year-olds and 17% of 15-year-olds are now obese.
Childhood obesity is a strong indication that the child will be obese as an adult and is likely to lead to health risks in later life.
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Health problems associated with obesity
People who are obese are more likely to suffer from:
Most of the health problems associated with obesity decrease through weight loss.
People who are very overweight find it more difficult to be physically active and this may add to their health problems.
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The role of food
All diets containing more energy than a person needs can cause weight gain. Fat provides just over twice as much energy per gram (37kJ/g) as carbohydrate (16kJ/g).