Dieting in a healthy way

Our food intake over the same time has actually fallen or stayed roughly the same, so the reason has to be that we are using up less energy on physical activity. Our modern lifestyles - the sort of jobs we do, all the labour-saving devices we have and how we spend our leisure time - mean that we’ve become much more sedentary.  

It’s risky being overweight - or underweight

It’s unhealthy to be too fat or too thin. Being overweight or obese is associated with a huge range of medical and other problems. These include cardiovascular disease (including the risk of heart attack or stroke), high blood pressure, diabetes, joint problems, fertility problems, depression and low self-esteem. After smoking, preventing obesity is the single most important thing for keeping ill-health at bay.

Being under underweight and malnourished is also risky. Someone may be underweight because they’re ill, trying to be excessively thin for cosmetic reasons, or just aren’t eating properly for any number of reasons. Very low weight can lead to problems like anaemia (low iron) and osteoporosis (brittle bones) in later life - remember our bones need to carry a certain amount of weight to keep them strong and healthy. Being underweight may also cause fertility problems in both men and women, and problems for pregnant women - including anaemia, low birth-weight babies or premature delivery.