The realism of the UK's obesity crisis

Proud fatties aren't beach body ready...but body bag ready.

Although I despise the vile filth that Katie Hopkins often feels the need to share, her opinion on obesity is one that echoes that of many - being obese isn't something to be proud of, but a serious and potentially life threatening medical condition that needs to be addressed.

With 1 in 4 UK adults and 1 in 5 UK children aged 10-11 considered obese, our nation is facing a crisis that is not only expected to affect over half the UK population by 2050, but is portraying an accumulation of excess body fat and a BMI of 25 or more as acceptable. Why? Because as a nation, we find strange and some what concerning comfort in this particular crisis and the statistics that tell us that the majority of the UK weigh dangerously more than their ideal body weight and as a result, have convinced ourselves that it's ok to suffer with such a common condition - sad, but unfortunately a fact that is very much true.

Societies increasing acceptance of plus sized models, obese children and being 'big' but body beautiful isn't the result of times changing, it's the result of a serious health risk we now deem normal due to the frightening fact that so many of us are no longer a healthy weight.

That said, obesity should never be something to be proud of, nor should it be glamorised or accepted as a normal way to live. It is a serious medical condition associated with a multitude of potentially life threatening health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke to name but a very few. As extreme as it may sound, allowing statistics and the medias new found acceptance of all things 'big' to reassure you that it's ok to risk your life and health for the sake of an excessive food intake and sedentary lifestyle, will ensure one thing - that you are body bag ready.

So, the next time that others try to convince you that it's 'ok' or 'normal' to weigh a few extra pounds, remember this - if losing as little as 5-10% of your current body weight is enough to benefit health, imagine the detrimental health effects that can result from weighing as little as 5-10% more your ideal body weight...