SmarterFitter

New UK government report released today as the Health Survey for England 2006: CVD and risk factors adults, obesity and risk factors children.

The bad news:

From the BBC:

More than 1m prescriptions are made for obesity drugs a year - eight times the number dispensed seven years ago.

Nearly a quarter of adults are obese - up 50% in the last 10 years, while one in six children aged two to 15 are classed as obese - up from one in 10.

and the good:

From the Guardian:

Increasing numbers of adults achieved the recommended levels of exercise in 2006. More than a quarter (28%) of women and two-fifths (40%) of men took part in at least 30 minutes of activity at least five days a week. This compared with 21% and 32% respectively in 1997.

The proportion of men eating five or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day rose from 23% to 28% between 2004 and 2006, and among women it rose from 27% to 32%.

Link to the Guardian's article
Link to the BBC's article
Link to NHS Information Centre summary of the Health Survey for England 2006: CVD and risk factors adults, obesity and risk factors children