- Britain is becoming a nation of extremes, with a growing
number of people either severely underweight or dangerously obese. The
number of people maintaining a healthy, normal weight is declining, while
more are risking their health by either overeating or starving themselves.
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- Figures collected by the market analyst Datamonitor found
that 600,000 men and 700,000 women in the UK (2 per cent of the adult population)
are now classed as severely underweight. In the next five years, that number
is projected to rise to more than 1.5 million. Experts believe a rise in
the number of severely underweight people will be a consequence of the
increased prevalence of eating disorders.
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- According to the Datamonitor research, 11.5 million men
and women are overweight, while a further 5.9 million are obese. The number
of overweight and obese people is expected to rise by 5 per cent by 2007.
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- But the report also revealed how, despite some people's
obsession with the Atkins diet and others' addiction to junk food, we are
still spending millions each year on ready meals and snacks. Last year,
consumers spent £564m on ready meals, up from £440m in 1997.
On average, people eat 4.5 times a day, with snacks accounting for more
than 40 per cent of these occasions.
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- And while weight-related health problems such as type
2 diabetes are increasing, the market in vitamins, minerals and "healthy
eating" products is also booming. Britain has become a nation of health
food shoppers, it seems. Spending on food supplements rocketed by 250 per
cent from 1997 to 2002, with the market now worth £1.2bn.
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- As the fat get fatter and the thin get thinner, the profits
of drugs companies are becoming huge. The market for over-the-counter medicines
has more than doubled in the past five years, from £1.3bn in 1997
to £3.8bn in 2002.
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- © 2003 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd
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- http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health/story.jsp?story=449414
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