Obesity is at epidemic levels in the UK and not enough is being done to combat the disorder, according to research published on Thursday.
Obesity can cause heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer and diabetes.
It also increases the risk of psychological problems. The report adds that, on questioning, obese people admit to a worse quality of life than those who have had multiple amputations or who are severely disabled. Defining the condition Research has also established that the number of obese people in the developed world has been rising steadily for some time. Yet effective treatments are hard to come by, according to the report. There is no consensus on an exact definition of obesity, but doctors agree that it is not the same as simply being overweight.