REAL COST OF OBESITY

The Hospital Group have commissioned a survey carried out by You Gov investigating the Real Cost of Obesity. The survey aimed to highlight the impact obesity has on society today and delve into the truths behind how exactly obesity can affect a person's day-to-day lifestyle. Within this study we focused on the following:
 Health
 Career 
 Family life
 Society

Real Cost of Obesity Breakdown

 
Health 
Obesity is responsible for 9,000 premature deaths a year in England. It reduces life expectancy by, on average, 9 years. The Department of Health’s Change4Life campaign also advises that after quitting smoking, keeping a healthy body weight is one of the best ways to reduce your chances of getting cancer.
 22% of the obese people questioned suffered from back pain as a result of their weight.
 15% of the obese people questioned suffered from heart burn or reflex as a result of their weight.
 11% of the obese people questioned suffered from arthritis as a result of their weight.
 9% of the obese people questioned suffered from diabetes as a result of their weight.
 Weekly spending on personal food allowance is vastly increased for the obese people questioned –(NB only 30 severely obese respondents questioned).
 According to mysupermarket.co.uk, a family of four’s average weekly food shop is ￡100 – so at ￡61.70 a week, the severely obese are eating enough to feed more than two people 
Career 
With the average Briton working over eight hours a day, your working life and career are central to happiness and well-being. But what if your weight was having a real cost on your working life?
The Real Cost of Obesity report has found that Briton’s obese are suffering in every area – with salaries, promotions and responsibilities and even career choices taking a knock at the hands of a high BMI.
 46% of obese people in Britain earn less than ￡20,000, meaning if those surveyed are typical of the wider population, around 3.4 million obese Britons are bringing in an annual income below the national average.
 One in ten of the obese questioned agreed their career progression had been held back because of their weight.
 The most common salary for the normal, overweight and obese BMI participants is within the ￡20-￡29,999 bracket.
 Of the 40 respondents surveyed that were severely obese BMI the most comment salary bracket was ￡10-￡14,999.
 
 Family Life
Playing with your children, relations with your partner or nights out with friends – are all something people take for granted, but obesity can take all those privileges away. 
 The Real Cost of Obesity report found that those living with a BMI over 25 begin to notice an effect on their relationships with those closest to them, but at this stage few recognise it is their weight which is dragging them down.
 Nearly half (45%) admitted their weight prevented them playing with their children and enjoying leisure with their family, with the top five activities ranked as: 
1. Swapping clothes
2. Adventure sports
3. Horse riding
4. Roller coasters
5. Bike rides
 Those who felt their weight didn’t stop them doing any leisure activities was directly proportionate to BMI – the heavier being the more affected (with only 30 severely obese respondents).
 Almost a quarter (22%) admitted their children or family had hinted at embarrassment or concern about their weight – with men experiencing this more than women.
 37% of the obese people questioned said their weight negatively affected their ability to take part in leisure activities.
 22% of the obese people questioned said that their weight had had a negative effect on their sex life.
 11% of the obese people questioned said this had now had a knock on effect on the relationship with their partner.
 Society 
Obese and overweight people are forecast to cost the nation ￡50 billion – half the NHS budget for a year – by 2050 if the trend continues unchecked, with diabetes the biggest draw on these figures. 
The NHS spends an estimated ￡600m a year on treating diabetes – the largest in primary care – and tackling obesity levels in Britain could save an estimate ￡950 per person each year.
 As well as drug spend, hospital admissions for Britons with problems caused by weight-related diabetes also doubled, from 7,000 in 2003-04 to 14,320 in 2007-08.
 In five years, the total numbers of people admitted to hospital as a direct result of obesity rose by 190 per cent, with 5,056 admissions in 2007-08.
 49% of those questioned blamed their poor diet for their size.
 63% blamed a lack of exercise.
 Stress was blamed by 20% of those questioned.
 14% blamed their genes and the same percentage said that they were too busy to do anything about their weight.
 Giving up smoking, large breasts, beer and ‘emptiness’ were also accredited.
 A separate survey revealed that some overweight people believe their weight has affected their careers: