Introduction
Obesity is a lifestyle disorder that involves people having excessive fat in their bodies. The abnormal accumulation of fat increases health risks. Once a person is overweight, the vulnerability to disease is high, and the quality of life is likely to be jeopardized. The primary cause of obesity is consuming more calories than a person burns through physical exercise (Zhou et al., 2019). Obesity has been declared one of the dangerous diseases that affects people’s productivity and requires policy regulation for prevention. A statistical investigation helps determine the exact number of affected people, enabling the formulation of policies to address the challenge. Obesity is a health problem both internationally and in the UK, and must be dealt with from both the policy and healthcare frameworks.
There are numerous risk factors associated with obesity, and effective control measures can be implemented when the data is well represented. The analysis may be made based on age, demographic population, and access to healthcare insurance services. Presenting information on graphs helps policymakers introduce techniques aimed at eliminating risk factors. The measure of obesity is the body mass index, which is then compared to 25, considered the ideal weight. However, a person is considered overweight when the BMI ranges between 25 and 30. When the BMI is beyond 30, a person is considered obese. A BMI of 40 is considered excessive weight, and it can endanger a person’s life (Zhou et al., 2019). The health-recommended chart for body mass index is shown below.
The relevant health ministry must understand the prevalence of obesity and set appropriate policies to overcome it. Historically, the challenges of obesity have been increasing exponentially since 1993 (Goisis et al., 2019). Every year, hospitals in the UK report an increase in obesity cases. The exponential rise in cases is attributed to changes in lifestyle, where people began living in skyscrapers and engaging in less physical exercise. Changes in shifts that make more people work long hours increase the rate of obesity. The rising number of cases of the disease among children and adolescents requires a holistic approach to understanding the challenge and its solution.
Key Statistical Terms
- Obesity rate: the number of people diagnosed with obesity within a given year.
- Mean weight: the average weight of the individuals and their given BMI to determine whether they are healthy.
Research Questions
- What is the obesity growth rate in the UK?
- Which age bracket is at the highest risk of contracting the disease?
- Which gender is prone to being affected by obesity?
- How is a socioeconomic condition associated with obesity?
Methodology
The method of investigation involved extracting secondary data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UK Parliament. Furthermore, hospital records on obesity cases were reviewed to extract information in response to the four research questions. The growth rate of obesity in the country was analyzed by recording the number of cases reported yearly, without considering the population’s demographics (Zhou et al., 2019). The second question is answered by extracting secondary data related to age and how different age groups are affected by the condition. The age category will be categorized into four: children below eleven years, youths or adolescents, and the elderly. The analysis will identify the age group most prone to the disease, allowing for the most appropriate antidote to be selected.
Table 1. Number of obesity Cases in the United Kingdom since 2010 (Free, 2022, p. 4).
The rate of obesity could further be broken down into the different age brackets and how people from different age groups are affected by the situation. In 2018, the distribution of obesity cases by age is shown in Table 2.
Table 2. Obesity Prevalence by age in the UK in 2018 (Goisis et al., 2019, p. 5).
Socioeconomic status is an essential contributor to obesity and plays a crucial role in the causes of the disease. People from different socioeconomic groups have varying vulnerabilities, and the government should implement policies to address the challenges they face. Income, education level, housing, and access to medical coverage are among the most significant risk factors in the region. Children from low-income families are at the highest risk because they do not get the best medical treatment to treat their diseases. The level of education further affects awareness levels, making people with lower levels of education more susceptible to misinformation and less likely to adopt preventive measures (Wilding et al., 2020). Table 3 shows the prevalence of obesity from 2015 to 2021 among the different ethnic groups in the United Kingdom.
The UK ethnic communities are differently affected by unemployment and poverty. Since the obesity prevalence for each group has been identified, data related to the poverty rate and housing can be extracted for different ethnic groups and analyzed in relation to the situation. It is essential to note that income level, as shown in the table below, has a direct impact on obesity prevalence in the UK (Theis & White, 2021). Table 4 represents poverty levels among the different ethnic groups in the UK.
Table 4. The poverty rate among the different ethnic groups in the UK (Hamer et al., 2020, p. 23).
The poverty rate includes the number of people living below the poverty line defined by the WHO. According to the organization, all individuals living below the income level of $ 1.90 per day are considered poor (World Health Organization, 2019). Since one of the risk factors for obesity is taking in an unhealthy and irregular diet, poverty is likely to have a direct relationship with obesity in the UK.
Calculations and Graphs
Statistical calculations, such as the mean, median, and standard deviation, are critical parameters in decision-making. For example, if the mean of the people affected with obesity in the United Kingdom is 50%, the government has reasons to worry about the trends. Graphs, on the other hand, are the visual analysis of the trends and prevalence, and can help people predict future trends and therefore propose an antidote for a better outcome. The inquiry further enables proper planning for the action to be conducted. If the data presented is inaccurate, the action taken may not be able to offer better service. The graph below displays the mean prevalence of obesity in the country, along with its corresponding growth rate.
From the graph, it can be observed that obesity is more prevalent in females than in males, and prevention efforts must be put more on women. Graph 2 illustrates the change in obesity prevalence since 2010. Although obesity prevalence has fluctuated over the years, it has taken a rising trajectory since 2021, and more preventive measures must be implemented.
The obesity prevalence is considerably lower among people aged 0-24. Individuals aged 25-75 are at a higher risk, and preventive measures must be implemented. Age is a crucial factor in determining obesity prevalence in a country. Each age group had different statistics, like those who were healthy, those who were overweight, and those who were obese. Graph 3 illustrates the distribution of people of different ages in terms of healthy weight, obesity, and those who are overweight.
Socioeconomic status plays a significant role in obesity prevalence. Policymakers must understand how obesity affects different ethnicities and which ones are at the highest risk. Once the risk factors are understood, it becomes easy to make adequate plans to overcome the challenge. The graph below illustrates the distribution of obesity in the UK across ethnic communities.
Obesity prevalence is higher among blacks, and policymakers must put more effort into lowering the risk in this race. The ethnic composition in the UK is closely linked to income levels and poverty rates. Since poverty is one of the risk factors for obesity, investigating the poverty rate is likely to determine which ethnic group is prone to obesity compared to the others. Graph 5 illustrates the poverty index for various ethnic groups in the UK. Poverty eradication is a critical strategy to reduce the obesity rate in the country. Understanding the poverty rate and working to eradicate it helps the community overcome the obesity rate in the country, leading to an improved quality of life.
From the graph, it can be concluded that Blacks lead in the poverty rate in the UK and therefore have a higher risk of obesity.
General Data Analysis
Both tables and graphs illustrate the rate of obesity in the UK and its recent trend. In Table 1, the number of reported obese cases in the UK has been recorded according to gender. It is imperative to note that women are at a higher risk of the disease than their male counterparts. The basic family structure in the country is patriarchal, where most men are breadwinners while the women are homemakers. Since women stay at home more, they are more likely to be affected by obesity than men (Theis & White, 2021). The mean values for men and women have been provided to illustrate the overall prevalence of obesity in the UK over the past twelve years. Obesity is still rising exponentially, and policymakers must ensure that containment measures are implemented to curb the spread.
The specific areas of concern have been categorized by age. Children between 0 and 15 and adolescents between 16 and 24 years are less prone to the disease compared to adults. More attention should be given to preventive measures and awareness for individuals between the ages of 45 and 54, as well as older people between 65 and 74 years old. The working class, who spend most of their time in offices, is prone to developing obesity (Goisis et al., 2019). Government policies on obesity prevention must therefore be implemented for the people of the two specified age groups. Since all groups have some degree of risk factor, the UK government must implement strategies to run awareness programs nationwide.
The primary risk factors for obesity are an unhealthy diet and consuming too many calories without enough physical exercise to burn off excess fat. Socioeconomic factors, such as poverty, unemployment, and educational levels, are indirect determinants because they affect a person’s ability to maintain a balanced diet. When people are poor, they are often forced to rely on inexpensive junk food, which is readily available in the market. The graphs showing poverty rate and poverty among the ethnic groups are almost collinear because the blacks with the highest poverty rate are also more affected by poverty (Hamer et al., 2020). Eradication of poverty is a prerequisite for combating obesity in the UK.
Limitations
Different types of limitations impact the research outcome. The methodological limitations include limited access to the data, as well as the scarcity of available journals and data banks. Furthermore, the time constraint was a limitation because the numerous data points required more time for a more comprehensive analysis. The technique used could not authenticate the data, as it was obtained from all readily available sources.
Conclusion
Obesity is a severe health concern whose prevalence has been increasing worldwide. In the United Kingdom, it has been increasing exponentially since 2010, and adequate policies must be implemented to eradicate it. Gender disparity is of concern, and the policies must involve both men and women. Ultimately, socioeconomic factors play a crucial role in preventing obesity. Poverty eradication and awareness are crucial factors in addressing the country’s healthcare challenges. If the government does not act quickly to address the prevalence of obesity, it is likely to increase, ultimately lowering the quality of life.
Reference List
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Hamer, M., Gale, C.R., Kivimäki, M. and Batty, G.D., 2020. Overweight, obesity, and risk of hospitalization for COVID-19: A community-based cohort study of adults in the United Kingdom. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(35), pp.21011-21013.
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Wilding, S., Ziauddeen, N., Smith, D., Roderick, P., Chase, D. & Alwan, N.A. (2020). Are environmental area characteristics at birth associated with overweight and obesity in school-aged children? Findings from the SLOPE (Studying Lifecourse Obesity PrEdictors) population-based cohort in the south of England. BMC medicine, 18(1), 1–13.
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