Tory tells obese: no excusing your size

Aug 28 2008 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal

THE Conservatives yesterday told obese people there was no excuse for their weight problem, as a new map reveals the North East is still one of the UK’s fattest regions.

Lower life expectancy and higher rates of cancer are still a feature of the North’s obesity shame despite a previous “fat map” two years ago warning health professionals that the region’s eating habits were partly to blame for the reduced life expectancy.

Northumberland has been revealed as the region’s fattest county while the North East once again stands out in the latest obesity league tables.

The obesity figures come after shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley launched a stinging attack on overweight people who he says are armed with a list of excuses to explain their size, with few prepared to take responsibility for their health. But North MP Vera Baird accused the Tories of arrogance and said their plans would see health spending cut in the region.

The Tories want to work with businesses to identify fatty foods but would drop the Government’s traffic light rating as an unnecessary distraction from improved diets.

In a speech entitled No Nannying, No Excuses, Mr Lansley said: “People need to know that the buck stops with them. They can’t shuffle off the responsibility. This sounds hard but it need not be.”

He added that it was important to be positive about the “fun and benefits” to be had from healthy living.

Alex Young, senior project manager at Dr Foster Research, which put together the latest obesity statistics, said the real figures for the region were likely to be even higher than the league table suggests.

“As these figures are put together based on which GPs return the information, we only a have a limited picture.

“Yes, it once again shows the North East as having high rates of obesity, and if we knew all the cases it could be much worse.

“But people are often reluctant to go and see their doctor when they are overweight and it can take some years before they appear on the list.”

While the fat list only takes in those whose GP has said they are medically obese, other studies have previously revealed that 20% of North East adults are overweight.

Prof Stephen Singleton, regional director of public health and medical director of the North East Strategic Health Authority, said he was determined to tackle the increasing problem of obesity in the region.

He added: “We intend to reverse this and to make significant progress in tackling this major health issue. There are many innovative and creative projects being led by primary care trusts across the region, who are working with local communities and families to encourage good health. Redcar MP Vera Baird said: “Andrew Lansley seems to want to cut health spending in poorer areas of the country.

“His policy would leave my constituency with depleted resources to cope with industrial heritage diseases, high levels of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, teenage pregnancy and asbestos-related illness.

“The new spending on health and on GP services in my constituency is deeply popular and I expect my constituents would not like being told they are undeserving of it.

“This seems to be in the same arrogant vein of thinking as the recent Policy Exchange report, which advocated evacuating the North.”

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Obesity

Obesity prevalence in the North East (% of population)

Northumberland Care Trust 9.90

South Tyneside PCT 9.70

County Durham PCT 9.40

Hartlepool PCT 9.30

Gateshead PCT 9.20

Sunderland Teaching PCT 8.90

North Tees PCT 8.70

Newcastle PCT 7.70

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Fat nation

OBESITY is defined by the NHS as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and above, while morbid obesity is 40 and above. BMI is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by their height in metres squared.

A quarter of the UK’s adult population and almost a fifth of all children are obese, according to the Department of Health.

If no action is taken, 60% of men and 50% of women could be obese by 2050.

The UK is now the fattest country in Europe, with one in every 11 deaths in the UK linked to carrying excess fat, according to a study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.