What is Obesity?
Obesity is a term used to describe being overweight, with a lot of body fat. Obesity is a common problem in the UK, with one in four adults categorised as obese and one in every five children aged 10 - 11.
What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of whether your weight is healthy for your height. A BMI of between 25 - 29.9 is considered overweight, 30 - 39.9 is obese and BMI over 40 is severely obese.
What is considered a healthy diet?
A healthy diet is balanced, with all the major food groups represented at each meal such as the following in moderate portions throughout the day:
- protein (pulses, meat, fish, poultry, milk)
- carbohydrates (starchy foods and bread)
- fat (butter, oils, and certain foods including avocado and nuts)
- minerals and vitamins from fruit and vegetables, which also provide fibre
- Water (about 2 litres per day)