Health issues and reports

Am I Obese? - calculate your BMI

Reports and news on Food and Health

Health and weight - here we bring you the latest news and how it may effect you

We all know that being overweight can harm our health. We hope to keep you up to date on the latest findings and also welcome contributions from those in the medical profession on any health related issues - Heart disease - Diabetes - High blood pressure – Osteoarthritis - Stroke – Higher risks from breast, cervical, prostrate and ovarian cancers..

Over the coming months we shall be looking at these issues as well as reports relating obesity to problems with pregnancy, fertility and IVF. We want to hear from professionals and individuals.

We also want to hear from those of you living with health problems as a result of your weight.

Am I obese ?
Obesity is currently measured by body mass index (BMI), this can be calculated by dividing weight (kgs) by size (m²). A BMI of over 30 is considered obese

The Body Mass Index provides a number calculated from height and weight. It is often used to help determine the risk of weight-related health problems.

Obesity is defined as a BMI (Body Mass Index) greater then 24.9. To make it understandable we need some calculations:

• Take your height in meters, e.g. 1.70 equal to approximately 5ft 7”, i.e. 2.54cm = 1 inch; 0.3048 = 1 foot.

• Then convert your weight into kg, e.g. 63kg equal to approximately 10 stones, i.e. 450gr (0.450 kg) to 1 pound; 6.35 kg to 1 stone.

• Take your height in meters, e.g. 1.70, and square it, i.e. 1.70 X 1.70 = 2.89

• Now finally take your weight and divide it by the square of your height, i.e. 63kg/2.89 = 21.8. This is your BMI.

If you are in the process of losing weight you can get BMI calculators ( like on our product page) which will help you calculate your changing BMI more easily.

• Now compare it with the classes of weight:

Underweight = less then 18.5
Normal = 18.5-24.9
Pre-obese = 25-29.9
Obese class 1 (moderate) = 30-34.9
Obese class 2 (severe) = 35-39.9

If you scored above 25, do not despair, a healthy and balanced diet could do miracles, even for the big sizes. Do not say to yourself “I cannot do it!”, you can, anyone can, you just need the will to do it. And another thing, don’t do it for the others, do it for yourself!

Reports and news on Food and Health

Feb 08

Fruity food flavourings fleece shoppers Much of the flavour in modern food and drink can come from an unexpected source, a survey by The Food Commission has revealed. There are currently around 2,700 flavourings which can be added to the food we eat, but none of these need to be declared as ingredients, leaving consumers unaware of what they are really eating. The survey points out that flavourings have no nutritional value of their own. When used instead of real ingredients, flavourings can reduce the nutritional value of our food. For instance, a 'fruit flavour' product can be completely free of real fruit.

Using strawberry flavour products as an example, The Food Commission revealed that many products contain no strawberries at all, or use just tiny amounts of the fruit. For instance:

Jordans Frusli All Fruit Strawberry Bars contain only 0.5% strawberry juice concentrate. The bars are actually made from apples.

Hartley's Strawberry Jelly with a 'New Fruitier Taste' contains no strawberries at all.

Nesquik Strawberry Milkshake Mix is almost 100% pure sugar, but contains no strawberries. Nesquik suggest that children add up to four teaspoons of this sugary mix to every glass of milk they drink.

ASDA Great Stuff Strawberry Milkshake has been 'endorsed by ASDA nutritionists' - but the cartons contain no strawberry at all. Flavourings provide the taste and the colour comes from beetroot.

Yoplait Yop Strawberry Yogurt contains no strawberries and uses an artificial colouring, E124 (ponceau 4R).

Fruit Bowl School Bars (apple, strawberry and pear) look very fruity, but contain more vegetable oil than strawberry juice (1.5%)

In all of these instances, flavourings provide the taste and the actual strawberry content is either minimal or non-existent.

Ian Tokelove, a spokesperson for The Food Commission, said, "Flavourings allow companies to cut costs at the public's expense. With thousands of cheap flavourings to choose from, many food manufacturers can now flavour their products using these specialist additives instead of real ingredients." "Describing a product as strawberry flavour and plastering the packet with pictures of strawberries, when that product contains just a tiny percentage of strawberry or even no real fruit at all, is misleading and deceptive. Unfortunately it is also legal and the practice is widespread." Tokelove said. The Food Commission is calling for all flavourings to be individually identified on food labels. In the meantime, The Food Commission advises shoppers to always check ingredients lists to see what is really in, or missing from, their food. The Food Commission is an independent watchdog which campaigns for healthier, safer, sustainable food in the UK.

Monday 25th February 2008

Further information:

See www.foodcomm.org.uk/latest_flavourings_Feb08.htm for full story and many more examples.

Jan 2008

EXTRA £372 MILLION INCREASES OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL TO MAKE HEALTHIER CHOICES

A new £372 million cross-government strategy to help everyone lead healthier lives was published today by the Health Secretary, Alan Johnson and the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls.

The Government's groundbreaking strategy supports the creation of a healthy society - from early years, to schools and food, from sport and physical activity to planning, transport and the health service.

It will bring together employers, individuals and communities to promote children's health and healthy food; build physical activity into our lives; support health at work; and provide incentives more widely to promote health. It will also provide effective treatment and support when people become overweight or obese.

Having been at least 30 years in the making, the obesity trend will not be halted overnight. This strategy is a first step and will be followed by an annual report that assesses progress, looks at the latest evidence and trends and make recommendations for further action. A panel of experts will assist the Government, with input
from a new public health obesity observatory that will develop our understanding of what changes behaviour.

Alan Johnson said:

"Tackling obesity is the most significant public and personal health challenge facing our society. The core of the problem is simple - we eat too much and we do too little exercise. The solution is more complex. From the nature of the food that we eat, to the built environment, through to the way our children lead their lives - it is
harder to avoid obesity in the modern environment.

"It is not the Government's role to hector or lecture people, but we do have a duty to support them in leading healthier lifestyles. This will only succeed if the problem is recognised, owned and addressed in every part of society."

The five key elements of the strategy are:

First, the healthy growth and development of children.
* Early identification of at risk families and plans to make breastfeeding the default option for mothers.
* Investment in healthy schools, increasing participation in physical activity, and making cooking a compulsory part of the national curriculum.
* A £75 million marketing campaign to support and empower parents to make changes to their children's diet and increase levels of physical activity.

Second, promoting healthier food choices.
* Setting out a Healthy Food Code of Good Practice to be finalised in partnership with the food and drink industry, including proposals to develop a single, simple and effective approach to food labelling, and to challenge the industry (including restaurants and food outlets) to support individuals and families reduce their consumption of saturated fat, salt and sugar.
* OFCOM to bring forward its review of the restrictions already introduced on the advertising of unhealthy foods to children.
* Promote Local Authority planning powers to limit the spread of fast food outlets in particular areas e.g. such as close to schools or parks.

Third, building physical activity into our lives.
* Investment of £30 million in "Healthy Towns" - working with selected towns and cities to bring together the successful EPODE (Ensemble Prevenons Lobesite Des Enfants) model used in Europe, using infrastructure and whole town approaches to promoting physical activity.
* Set up a working group with the entertainment technology industry to ensure that they continue to develop tools to allow parents to manage the time that their children spend watching TV or playing sedentary games, online and much more widely.
* Review our overall approach to physical activity, including the role of Sport England, with the aim of producing a fresh set of programmes to ensure that there is a clear legacy of increased physical activity before and after the 2012 Games.

Fourth, Creating incentives for better health.
* Stronger incentives for individuals, employers and the NHS to prioritise the long-term work of improving health.
* Working with employers and employer organisations to explore how companies can best promote good health among their staff and make healthy workplaces part of their core business model.
* We will pilot and evaluate a range of different approaches to using personal financial incentives to encourage healthy living.

Fifth, Personalised advice and support.
* Developing the NHS Choices website so that it provides advice for diet and activity levels, with clear and consistent information on how to maintain a healthy eight.
* Increased funding over the next three years to support the commissioning of more weight management services, where people can access personalised services to support them in achieving real and sustained weight loss.

In England alone, nearly a quarter of men and women are now obese. The trends for children are even more cause for concern, with 18 per cent of 2 to 15 year olds currently obese and a further 14 per cent overweight.

The Foresight report on obesity, published last year, indicated that on current trends nearly 60 per cent of the UK population will be obese by 2050 - that is almost two out of three in the population
defined as severely overweight. If this trend continues, millions of adults and children will inevitably face deteriorating health and a lower quality of life and we face spiralling health and social care costs.

Ed Balls said:

"Tackling obesity in the adults of tomorrow requires winning the hearts and minds of young people today.

"Every parent wants their child to be fit and healthy - what we want to do is help them make informed decisions about their own children's lives.

"And giving young people the lifelong education they need - more sport and exercise in and out of school; ending the 'no ball games' culture with more play and sports facilities; equipping children with cooking skills and understanding of diet; and stamping out unhealthy and junk food in schools."

The Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson said:

"This cross-government strategy on obesity has come at a vitally important time. It has never been more challenging to maintain a healthy weight as it is today. A unified solution must be found and this is an important first stage in engaging the whole of society in this issue. As mentioned in my annual report of 2002, physical
activity, healthy eating, balanced marketing and promotion of food to children and clear and consistent food labelling are all key components in beating the obesity time bomb."

source dept of health jan 2008

Warning over severe weight loss caused by chewing gum

In this week's BMJ, doctors warn of excess sorbitol intake, a widely used sweetener in "sugar-free" products such as chewing gum and sweets.

Sorbitol has laxative properties and is poorly absorbed by the small intestine. Their advice follows the cases of two patients with chronic diarrhoea, abdominal pain and severe weight loss. Although extensive investigations were carried out, final diagnosis was only established after detailed analysis of eating habits.

On questioning, both patients admitted consuming substantial amounts of sugar-free gum and sweets. The first patient (a 21 year old woman) chewed large amounts of sugar-free gum, accounting for a total daily dose of 18-20g sorbitol (one stick of chewing gum contains about 1.25g sorbitol). The second patient (a 46 year old man) reported chewing 20 sticks of sugar-free gum and eating up to 200g of sweets each day, which together contained around 30g sorbitol.

After both patients started a sorbitol free diet, diarrhoea subsided, normal bowel movements resumed and weight gain was achieved. As possible side effects are usually found only within the small print on foods containing sorbitol, consumers may be unaware of its laxative effects and fail to recognise a link with their gastrointestinal problems, write the authors.

In conclusion, they say, our cases demonstrate that sorbitol consumption can cause not only chronic diarrhoea and functional bowel complaints but also considerable unintended weight loss (about 20% of usual body weight). Thus, the investigation of unexplained weight loss should include detailed dietary history with regard to foods containing sorbitol.

source bmj jan 2008

Call to stop obesity research and act

All further obesity research, dietary advice, and food labelling should be stopped and the money used to build an integrated, reliable public transport network, according to a letter in this week's BMJ. Nicole Lavery, a community adviser in Northern Ireland believes we have now reached saturation point as to how many studies and articles it takes to convince us that we are too fat as a nation.

What good does it do to advise people that they need to walk, cycle and swim when the infrastructure is doing its best to prevent exactly this, she asks?

Despite all the suggested health assessments, dieticians' advice, government guidelines, and supermarket labels there is something missing: action to force planners, developers, councils and local authorities to end totally unsustainable, fat-making practices, such as building roads without cycle lanes, she argues.

She suggests the only way we will be able to tie our laces in the future and not need cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the age of 35 is to demand and build a functioning, cyclist and pedestrian centred, integrated public transport network. But she concludes "having witnessed the government's transport policies in the last decades, I would say: fat chance".

Source BMJ Jan 2008

Carers Strategy - PM listens to the experts

First ever national consultation will inform new Carers Strategy. The most far-reaching consultation ever on how to improve the future of the nation's six million carers drew to a close today with an event attended by over sixty cares, the Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Health Secretary Alan Johnson and Health Minister Ivan Lewis.

The consultation, to engage carers in debate about what would make a positive difference to or improve their lives as carers, was announced by the Prime Minister in June. Since then, the debate has seen more than 1,700 ideas contribute by carers though a dedicated website, and thousands more carers have contributed their ideas at the events run by both the Department of Health and carer organisations up and down the country. All of this valuable insight will inform the new Prime Minister's Carers Strategy to be published later this year.

Today's event, at which carers debated issues such as local services, income, employment, discrimination and recognition, was also attended by members of the new Standing Commission on Carers, which was announced by Gordon Brown in September. The commission will ensure that that the voice of carers remains central to the long term development of Government policy.

Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, said:

"Britain's carers are an immense force and I want to thank them for the tremendous work they do, especially given the huge challenges and pressures they face. We know that supporting carers is not just the right thing to do, but vital to ensuring the most vulnerable people in our communities have the care they need when they need it. I have spent today listening to our carers, volunteers, charities and community groups and have heard about the pressures that families and carers are under. What I have heard today, and what carers throughout the country have told us, will form the basis of our new carers strategy."

The new strategy will build upon a number of recent initatives to improve support for carers. A national helpline for carers will be available from this summer and £25m has been made available to local authorities in England to provide short-term cover for carers in emergencies.

Also today, the £5 million contract to support the development of an experts carers programme, has been awarded to a constorium made up of the Expert Patient Programme, Princess Royal Trust for Carers, Carers UK, Crossroads and Partners UK. The programme will provide vital training for carers to develop the skills they need to take greater control over their own health, and the health of those in their care.

Secretary of State Alan Johnson said:

"Carers are the hidden heroes of society. They selflessly contribute their time and money to caring for someone and ask little in return.

"Today's event has been about listening to the experts - carers themselves - about what we can do to improve their lives. Our job is to take what we have heard and learnt and ensure that our new strategy builds on this and the progress we have made."

Source: Department of Health Jan 2008