Understanding obesity in a changing food environment
Professor Andrew Hill Academic Unit of Psychiatry, Leeds University Medical School
An obesity epidemic? - epidemic is not the right word. Obesity is not objectively defined. A small change in the criteria produces a large change in the incidence
| Men | Women | |
| 1980 | 6% | 8% |
| 1993 | 13% | 16% |
| 1995 | 15% | 18% |
| 1997 | 17% | 20% |
| 1999 | 19% | 21% |
| 2004 | 23% | 24% |
(Health Survey for England)
A toxic or obesogenic environment
Obesity as a normal response to an abnormal environment, side-effect of technology & prosperity reflects natural human preferences (eg easy, convenient, fast, low effort, value for money)
In conjunction with variability in tendency to weight gain e.g. thrifty genes
Modern environment/biology mismatches
| Stimulating eating | Reducing activity |
| strong signals to eat | weak activity signal |
| weak signals to stop | strong signals to stop |
| rewarding | inactivity is rewarding |
| no viable alternatives | inactivity is a viable alternative |
| eating well is high status | inactivity is high status |
| increased availability | reduced availability |
Current approach to obesity:
Lifestyle, choice, individual responsibility
Fails to acknowledge:
- incomplete model of obesity
- environmental determinants
- genetic susceptibilities
- people locked in to their ways of life
- body weight is less self-determined than popularly believed
This supposed reduction in consumption could be contrasted to:
10 year increases (Mintel, 2004):
- 32% food market
- 80% fast food sales
- 86% takeaway foods
- 12% per capita food supply, 5 yrs (US)
Changing food environment |
|
| Decreased | Increased |
| real cost of food | opportunity cost of cooking |
| cost of energy-dense foods | food eaten away from home |
| local food availability | food promotion |
| family dining | portion sizes |
| food variety | |
External influences on food intake
Key Messages
- lifestyle branding invites blame
- food promotion shows little social responsibility
- recognise the changing food environment
- tailored advice and support
- weight change takes time
last updated 4/09/11