Kinetik Your fitness HRM2 - Manual (Page 19)

Diet and Lifestyle Information
18
Being overweight or obese is a growing problem in the UK. There are eighteen million sick days taken
and thirty thousand deaths a year due to weight related issues. On average, deaths related to obesity
shorten life by nine years. The number of obese and overweight people has almost doubled between
1993 - 2008. Today, around two thirds of men and half of all women are overweight or obese.
The health implications of being overweight or obese are well documented. Some of the most common
problems linked to being overweight or obese are heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and
osteoarthritis. In general, weight issues are caused by an excess of fat.
It is widely accepted that by getting down to a healthy weight you will minimise those potential health
risks. The best and safest results for weight loss come from the combination of a balanced diet and
regular exercise. An additional benefit of this is that it is sustainable.
There are two basic ways to reduce weight: increase exercise to burn calories and cut down the calories
you eat.