The government-backed study carried out by 250 experts said that obesity now had a greater impact on our life expectancy than smoking.

However it seems that the British public have been bombarded with several obesity statistics over the last few years, many of which have had little impact on our daily routines. This is partially due to most people’s limited understanding of who is technically categorised as obese and who is simply overweight.

Someone is classed as obese if their Body mass index (BMI) value is higher than 30, while a BMI between 25 and 30 is classed as overweight. The BMI is a measure of body fat and is calculated using your height and weight. It doesn't however take into consideration a person’s age and recently newer measures have been highlighted as possibly providing a more accurate picture of a person's health, such as waist-size or circumference.

Regardless of the measure used, obesity remains an issue of growing concern in the UK which could lead to severe health problems. Heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure can all be caused by obesity as well as the physiological and social conditions such as depression, low self-esteem and stigmatization.

With a reduction in cost over recent years and the growth in popularity, cosmetic surgery might be seen as an easy solution to the nation's weight problem. However any good GP or plastic surgeon will inform you that cosmetic surgery should never be seen as an alternative to a healthy lifestyle. When tackling weight issues daily exercise, coupled with a balanced diet, is always recommended as the first steps. Only excess fat and skin, which has not shifted with exercise, should be considered suitable for Liposuction or other body-lift surgeries.

Any major surgery is severely traumatic to the body and its decision should not be taken lightly. Various non-surgical alternatives for weight loss should also be seriously considered as they provide a far less invasive and cost-effective option to achieve the desired goals.

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