The Cost of Obesity on Family Life

Released on: November 2, 2009, 5:44 am
Author: The Hospital Group
Industry: Healthcare

Playing with your children, relations with your partner or nights out with friends – all something people take for granted, but obesity can take 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.

Leading dietitian and Head of Weight Management Services at The Hospital Group, Cirian Marie-Beddoes, said: “The team of dietitians at The Hospital Group see people every day who didn’t consider their weight to be the cause of the problems in their lives until they were ranking well above the 30 BMI level.”

The Department of Health has forecast by 2050, 9 in 10 adults will be overweight or obese* – being overweight is now the norm. “These people often feel terrible about themselves. Our job is to nurture and nourish their love of food, a healthy balanced diet and being socially and physically active.

“The real problem is that those 9 out of 10 adults are today’s children. Without meaning to, some people in Britain are living poorer lives and beginning to set their children on the same track.”

A recent report on the matter uncovered the following:

•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:

o Swapping clothes
o Adventure sports
o Horse Riding
o Rollercoasters
o Bike Rides

•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.

•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).

The Hospital Group is one of the UK’s leading providers of cosmetic surgery and gastric bypass surgery experts. So whatever your requirements, you can rest assured in the safe hands of the professionalism and experience that THG has to offer.

Since The Hospital Group was established in 1992, it has risen to become the UK’s biggest weight loss surgery providers, performing more gastric band procedures last year than the NHS. The Hospital Group is committed to providing the very highest standards and all procedures are performed by an expert medical team in state-of-the-art facilities that are second to none.

For more information, key case studies or expert comment, please contact:
Felicity Cross or Lucy Kemp felicitycross@seal.uk.com, lucykemp@seal.uk.com or call on: 0121 616 5800