Introduction

Obesity has become a serious and growing health problem in the UK.

In England

• 1 in 5 adults is obese
• the number of obese people has trebled over the past 20 years
• nearly two thirds of men and over half of women are now overweight or obese

Most evidence suggests that the main reason for the rising prevalence of obesity is a combination of less active lifestyles and changes in eating patterns.

The four most common problems linked to obesity are

• heart disease
• type 2 diabetes
• high blood pressure
• osteoarthritis

Obesity has substantial human cost and serious financial consequences for both the NHS and the economy. It is estimated that treatment costs to the NHS are at least £billion per year with possibly in excess of £2 billion to the wider economy.

There is now considerable evidence that even modest weight loss in obese or overweight people is associated with a number of measurable health benefits. By targeting and using resources efficiently, weight management programmes have the potential to significantly reduce the health costs associated with obesity.