Health Risks
The Wanless report ‘Securing Good Health for the Whole Population’, 2004 likened obesity to smoking in terms of associated disease burden and determinant of future health. The health risks associated with obesity (shown in Table 1) are thought to cost an estimated £3.3-3.7 billion a year in England alone (House of Commons Select Committee report, 2000).
| Greatly ↑ risk (RR >3) | Moderate ↑ risk (RR 2-3) | Slight ↑ increase (RR 1-2) |
| Type 2 diabetes | CVD | Some cancers* |
| Insulin resistance | Hypertension | Reproductive abnormalities |
| Gallbladder disease | Stroke | Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (POS) |
| Dyslipidaemia | Osteoarthritis | Impaired fertility |
| Breathlessness | Hyperuricaemia & gout | Low back pain |
| Sleep apnea | Psychological ill health | Anaesthetic risk |
| Foetal defects & ↑ delivery complications with maternal obesity |
*Cancer risk includes colon, breast and endometrial.
