Obesity

About Obesity

Obesity is the excessive accumulation of adipose tissue in the body due to consuming more food than is required for energy (Maguire & Haslam, 2010). BMI should be used to classify obesity (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines, 2011) and you are deemed obese if you have a BMI of over 30kg/m (Maguire & Haslam, 2010).

In 1980, 6% of men and 8% of women in England were deemed as obese. By 1995, these percentages had more than doubled, 15% of men and 16.5% of women were classed as obese (Anderson & Butcher, 2006).

In 2010, 23.6% of men and 23.8% of women in England were obese. And the obesity levels in Scotland were slightly higher in women with 26% being obese (Maguire & Haslam, 2010). These recent statistics show that nearly a quarter of the UK adult population are obese and obesity is rising quickly, therefore it is not surprising that every year obesity in the UK costs the economy £3.5bn (Haslam, Sattar & Lean, 2007).

How Physiotherapists can help

Physiotherapists, as exercise experts, join the worldwide concern for the ever growing epidemic of obesity, which affects adults and children alike. It is probably one of the greatest challenges to our health systems around the world in the 21st century. There are two important interventions to prevent and manage obesity. One is optimal nutrition. The other is increased exercise and physical activity. The potential contribution of physical therapists to the latter approach is immense.

Physical activity is any movement of the body that requires the use of our skeletal muscles, which in turn requires energy expenditure. This energy expenditure is basic to weight control. Aerobic exercise prescriptions and recommendations for strength/resistance training must go hand in hand with reduced food intake, and the progression of activity should be gradual, scientifically based, and tailored individually to each person.  It is important that the physiotherapist finds the most appropriate activity for the individual, so that they will not only enjoy the activity but also have a greater chance of staying with it.  There are numerous types of exercise prescriptions that the physiotherapist may use in their increasing effort to battle the obesity epidemic. The sooner all our nations begin to adopt initiatives and programmes to combat obesity and other diseases of civilisation, the less will be the burdens on health systems delivery around the world.

Physiotherapy Management

Management of Obesity

Resources

Child obesity and physical activity