Obesity

THE FACTS

* Obesity is defined as a condition of abnormal or excessive fat accumulation in the body, to such an extent that health may be impaired. In men this tends to grow around the abdomen, this is often referred to as a beer belly.

* In the UK alone, over half the adults are now overweight and 1 in 5 is obese. It is set to become our biggest health problem and if the predictions are true, 78% of men will be overweight or obese by 2013.



Am I overweight / obese?

Can you see your toes or other bits of your anatomy when standing upright and looking down? If the answers “No” then chances are your overweight!

If you want to be a bit more scientific about it there's the body mass index or BMI . This is currently the internationally accepted standard for assessing how healthy, or otherwise, our weight is.

Hence you are healthy if you have a BMI of 20 – 25, you are overweight if you have a BMI of 25 – 30 and you are obese if you have a BMI greater than 30.

This brings us back to looking at our toes! If your waist measurement is greater than 37 inches you should think about losing weight.

Body Mass Index explained

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You can calculate your BMI by dividing your weight (in kilograms) by your height (in metres) squared.

For example, if you weigh 93kg (14 stone 9lb) and are

1.77m tall (5ft 9¾).

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Then 93 divided by (1.77 x 1.77) = a BMI of 29.7.

Alternatively, check out the BMI charts in the health magazines

or visit your local health centre for advice.



Health implications

In 2001, the proportion of men in England classified as overweight (BMI 25 – 30) was 47% and the proportion who were obese (BMI 30+) was 21%. Being overweight or obese poses serious dangers to men's health, in particular, this central obesity can increase our risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoarthritis. Men may also suffer from low self esteem, social isolation. Being obese can knock years off your life!



Tackling obesity locally

Part of the Health of Men Team's work involves providing health MOT's to men in a variety of locations, the most popular being clinics, pubs, barber shops and workplaces. The MOT's are simply a tool to promote healthier lifestyles to men and provide us with the opportunity to measure BMI, blood pressure, waist, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Advice and support is also available on a number of issues. These include smoking cessation, weight management, healthy eating, exercise, mental health, sexual health, prostate and testicular awareness.

As a direct result of MOT sessions with the refuse workers (employed by Bradford Council) it became apparent that many of the men wanted practical help and support in trying to lose weight. In this particular environment weight gain was exacerbated when the bin men were promoted to the more sedentary job of wagon driver.

Health groups, with a focus on weight loss and healthier lifestyles, developed from the initial MOT work. This involved close partnership working with dieticians and walking for health co-ordinators. Weight management groups were promoted and supported by Bradford Council, which in turn led to interest from other local firms and businesses.

This initiative received the Queens Nursing Institute Award for Innovative and Creative Practice 2005.