A recent research published in the Bulletin of World Health Organisation states that Britain which indulges in overabundance of calories is caused due to an overproduction and imports of food than required…reports Asian Lite News.
Researchers have warned that Britain’s obesity epidemic is being fuelled by the sheer abundance of food, after finding that there are around 50 per cent more calories available to each person than needed.
The study published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organisation found that the obesity rate has increased as food has become more easily available and calorific.
Every person in Britain has 3428 calories available to them each day, 70 per cent more than the amount needed by women, and 37 per cent more than men’s recommended daily intake. It has risen by 212 calories since 1993.
The study found that in 56 out of 69 countries surveyed, average body weight had increased steadily alongside the available food supply. Only countries hit by famine, natural disasters or civil war did not follow the trend.
In Britain, 25 per cent of adults are obese — 12?million people — compared with fewer than three per cent in the Seventies. The proportion is predicted to grow to one in three by 2030 and more than half by 2050.
Weight gain is a risk factor for many health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some cancers. Obesity and diabetes already costs the UK over £5billion every year which is likely to rise to £50 billion in the next 36 years.
Researchers say the study shows that governments must implement policies to make food healthier.
“Countries need to look at how they guide the food system. This means working across several sectors including agriculture, the food production, distribution and retail industries, health, social welfare and education,” said Dr Francesco Branca, director of the Department of Nutrition for Health and Development at WHO.