UK NEWS

WHY MOST OF US ARE DOOMED TO STAY FLABBY

WORRY: Almost a quarter of adults are now classed as obese

Wednesday May 21,2008

By Jo Willey

THREE in four of us are unhappy with our body shape but only one in three bothers to do enough to change it, a study has found.

A quarter of Britons even admit to putting no time aside for proper exercise. The worrying findings come as Britain is gripped by a soaring fatness epidemic with almost a quarter of adults now classed as obese.

In England alone, more than 30,000 deaths a year are caused by obesity while health problems linked to being overweight cost the NHS £1billion a year.

But the survey, carried out by nutrition firm myprotein.co.uk, also found there was a worrying trend of binge dieting.

A staggering 40 per cent of women and 19 per cent of men admitted they had gone on a “deprivation diet” at least once.

While 73 per cent of adults admitted they do not exercise for at least 30 minutes, five times a week, in accordance with Government guidelines for cardiovascular health (45 to 60 minutes to fight obesity), 65 per cent blamed their poor activity on lack of time. Of the 1,376 people polled, only 30 per cent did the recommended amount of exercise.

Just over 40 per cent claimed they did not enjoy exercise and while some said that ill health, injury or intimidation by a gym environment were factors, almost a third said their lack of exercise was because they “just don’t want to”.

And 32 per cent said it was because they had “better things to do”.

Government statistics predict that more than 12 million adults and a million children will be obese by 2010. Thousands more will be struck by related diseases such as cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Oliver Cookson, managing director of myprotein.co.uk, said: “The research points to the fact that although nearly three-quarters of the public are unhappy with their appearance, only 30 per cent of us are actively doing the recommended amount of exercise.

“Despite the number of people who rely on them, including influential celebrities, we all know that deprivation diets are only a short-term answer, if an answer at all.

“We need to create a public ethos that our health should be a priority and understand that, with correct time management, other aspects of life can fit around it.

“It is clear that time management is an issue affecting many people, as is the fact that many people do not see the results they want quickly enough, for which correct nutrition plays a huge part.”

The survey also found that 22 per cent of people said they were “unaware of the right sort of foods” they should be eating.

And 42 per cent admitted they ate too much, with 24 per cent blaming those around them.