by Michelle Wilkinson

Created on: November 11, 2008   Last Updated: December 13, 2008

Why do any of us gain weight? It usually boils down to a combination of eating too much food, usually food with little nutritional benefit, and doing too little exercise. Somehow, though it has become embedded in American culture, so that it almost seems to be acceptable to be overweight. This is not only a problem in America; it is also increasingly a problem in the rest of the Western world.

It is estimated that 64 per cent of Americans are overweight or obese. Body Mass Index (BMI) is used to determine whether a person is overweight, or not, based on height and weight; it doesn't take into account muscle. A person with a BMI of 18.5 to 25 is regarded as healthy, over 25 as overweight, over 30 as obese and over 40 as morbidly obese. The majority of people who are labelled as overweight do not have a BMI of over 25 because they are muscular; for most people a BMI of over 25 is a result of being too fat.

It is strange how so many people go around not even realising that they are overweight. Perhaps it is not that surprising as people don't usually measure how healthy or overweight they are by their BMI, but usually by what size clothes they wear. Unfortunately, clothes manufacturers are keen to tap into women's vanity, in particular, and so what is labelled as a size 12 may be larger than what a size 12 was in the past. There is also the fact that if you come from an overweight family and live in a community where most people are overweight, it distorts your perception of what a normal size actually is.

That is perhaps the main problem. Obesity breeds obesity. After all, children learn from their parents, and so if their parents consume a large amount of calories which they don't burn off, then there's a good chance that they, too, will lead such a lifestyle. It is this lifestyle which generally leads to obesity. An obese child has a good chance of turning into an obese adult, which not only has serious implications for the individual in terms of health and quality of life, but also for society as a whole.

Approximately a third of adults die from health complications as a result of obesity, coming second only to smoking. Obesity can lead to heart problems, diabetes, restricted movement and breathing problems, and with increasing numbers of obese individuals, health care facilities are likely to be put under pressure, whilst long-term ill health is also detrimental to the nation's productivity.

This is why the American government and European governments are so keen to encourage educational programmes and to stimulate a healthier attitude towards eating and exercise. Indeed, in the United Kingdom nine healthy towns have been named in this very pursuit. It may seem like a gimmick, but surely it is important for people to wake up to the effect that being overweight has on their lives and other people's lives, and to start to take responsibility for their own actions.

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