The Insurance Helpline
Totally Insured Group // 0800 377 7763

Banning advertisements for fast food would substantially reduce levels of childhood obesity, it has been claimed.

A new study conducted in the US has aimed to illustrate how damaging such commercials can be to youngster’s health.

The researchers have pointed out that scrapping fast food ads would reduce the number of obese youngsters by 18 per cent and older children by 14 per cent,

Lisa Powell, a researcher at the University of Illinois, noted that around 23 per cent of commercials viewed by children are food-related, which means young people potentially see such ads tens of thousands of times a year.

A 2006 report from the Institute of Medicine, said the link was a realistic possibility, but concluded more proof was needed.

Study co-author Michael Grossman, from City University of New York, said that the research was "evidence of that link".

McDonald’s has referred questions about the findings to the National Council of Chain Restaurants.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

Drinking just three cups of green tea a day could help to fight obesity, according to new research.
A study conducted at Queensland University indicated that the drink could reduce blood pressure and improve the body’s ability to process sugar.
The researchers claim that this could keep obesity at bay, even if a person continues to eat junk food.

According to the team, green tea is effective as it stops cells from releasing chemical signals that attract more fat, causing them to increase in size.


Commenting on the findings, lead researcher Dr Lindsay Brown said: "If someone had told me you could do all these things with something as simple as green tea with olive extract I would say they’d been out in the sun too long. It is simply amazing."

Previous studies into green tea have revealed that it may be able to reduce appetite, lower cholesterol and even reduce the risk of some cancers.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

Employers are being called on to help tackle the problem of obesity in the workplace amid rising levels of the condition in the UK.

National Obesity week saw experts advising employers to make relatively simple changes to the work environment which would boost productivity, as well as promoting weight loss.

It was explained that removing soft drink machines and making healthy food options available in staff canteens are examples of such changes.

Dr Colin Waine, who chaired the National Obesity Forum for three years, said: "Bigger organisations can also consider introducing workplace activities to assist staff."

Recent figures indicated that obesity levels in the UK have trebled since the 1970s and 25 per cent of the population is now clinically obese.

Elsewhere, it was recently reported that a high-fat diet during pregnancy could cause obesity in early life.

Dr Ian Campbell, medical director of the charity Weight Concern, said: "We are not just ‘what we eat’; we are also to some extent ‘what our mothers eat’."

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

A high-fat diet during pregnancy could be a significant factor in obesity during early life, a new study has suggested.

Recent research conducted on rats by scientists at the Rockefeller University found that those born to mothers on such a diet had more appetite-stimulating proteins, reports the BBC.

The research indicates that a mother’s diet is directly linked to the developing foetal brain and can have an effect which lasts throughout the offspring’s life.

Lead researcher Dr Sarah Leibowitz said: "We believe the high levels of triglycerides that the foetuses are exposed to during pregnancy cause the growth of the neurons earlier and much more than is normal."

She added that the study is evidence high levels of fat in a mother’s bloodstream are directly linked to overeating and weight gain in early life.

Dr Ian Campbell, medical director of the charity Weight Concern, said: "The message is clear. We are not just ‘what we eat’; we are also to some extent ‘what our mothers eat."

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

Several corner shops in the north-east are to offer an expanded range of fruit and vegetables as part of government-backed anti-obesity scheme.

The twelve convenience stores have been given a grant to cover the cost of refitting their shops to ensure such items are displayed more prominently, reports the Northern Echo.

All the shops will carry the Department of Health’s Change4Life logo, to show they are behind the drive to promote healthy eating and reduce obesity.

The north-east was one of the first areas of the UK to be recruited for the scheme as it has some of the highest levels of obesity in England.

Public health minister, Dawn Primarola, said: "We all need to aim to eat five portions of fruit and veg a day. But we know that can be a tall order - particularly if you live in an area where shops don’t sell fresh fruit and veg."

The launch of the scheme coincided with the first Change4Life regional summit, which took place at Dance City in Newcastle.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

Obesity is responsible for 450 deaths a year in Northern Ireland, a health chief has claimed.

Health Promotion Agency (HPA) chief executive, Dr Brian Gaffney, said the condition is costing the economy around £500 million, as it significantly increases the risk of heart conditions, diabetes and some cancers.

Dr Gaffney stated that the crisis is having a "major impact on education, employment and mental and emotional health".

Experts are due to congregate at Belfast’s Europa Hotel this week for ‘Obesity: weighing up the evidence’ – a conference which has been organised by the HPA in Northern Ireland and the Health Service Executive in the Republic of Ireland.


Some 59 per cent of adults and 26 per cent of children are overweight or obese in Northern Ireland, as well as 23 per cent of boys and 28 per cent of girls.

According to the World Health Organisation, obesity is now one of the biggest public health issues facing the global population.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

Nine UK towns and cities have been designated as "healthy towns" in a new government drive to promote healthier lifestyles.

Health secretary Alan Johnson has allocated £30 million to changing people’s habits in order to prevent an obesity epidemic, which he has called England’s "biggest health challenge".

As part of the initiative, NHS and local authorities will reward people who actively change their lifestyles.

The funding is to go to the towns and cities which have proposed the most innovative ideas, which have been named as Dudley, Halifax, Sheffield, Thetford, Middlesbrough, Manchester, Tewkesbury, Portsmouth and the London borough of Tower Hamlets.

Shadow health secretary, Andrew Lansley, said: "The government needs to demonstrate how it thinks this scheme will achieve any better results or be any different from the health action zones on which Labour spent heavily in the 1990s."

According to a government report last year, nine out of ten British adults and two-thirds of children will be overweight or obese by 2050 unless action is taken.

Many parents are in denial about their children’s obesity problem, according to new research.

A recent government survey of 1,200 people indicates that just one in nine parents of overweight children thought their child had a significant weight problem.

Health secretary Alan Johnson revealed the statistic as he unveiled the Change4Life initiative, which several big names in the food industry are backing.

The drive aims to encourage a healthier lifestyle promoting more physical exercise and a better diet.

As part of the scheme, Tesco and Asda have will be offering promotions on healthy food, which could include cut-price fruit and vegetables.

Mr Johnson said: "The message that we received from parents was clear - we recognise that obesity is a big problem, but it’s not our problem."

Advertising Association chief executive Baroness Peta Buscombe said it is crucial that businesses are proactive in addressing the problem of obesity in the UK.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

A leading expert in the obesity field has criticised the "hysteria" which he claims currently surrounds the condition.

In January, health watchdog ScotPHO reported that a fifth of Scottish boys and one in ten girls aged two to 15 are classed as obese – which led to claims that a full-scale health problem is inevitable.

Australian academic Dr Michael Gard - lead author of The Obesity Epidemic: Science, Morality and Ideology - believes the issue has been blown out of proportion, reports the Sunday Herald.

While he acknowledged that obesity is a leading health problem, he added that claims of a crisis or epidemic were preventing it from being put "in proper perspective".

"Now what is happening is that, as the hysteria dies down, we will just get down to treating obesity as the run-of-the-mill public health issue that it is. Once we get past calling it a crisis’ we will probably start to get somewhere," he said.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

The rising obesity epidemic is placing a dangerous financial strain on the NHS, it has been reported.

According to estimates, it will cost the NHS around £20 billion to treat people with associated conditions - such as diabetes, stroke and heart disease, reports the Northern Echo.

Speaking at a conference in the north-east which addressed the issue, Dr Matt Capehorn, chairman of the Yorkshire and Humber National Obesity Forum, said the health service is feeling the pressure.

"Unfortunately, the problem of obesity could bankrupt the NHS, which is why we have to take this very seriously.

"The direct and indirect costs of tackling this problem are going to prove very expensive."

He added that, not only is the UK catching up with America in terms of obesity, but that "we are doing it a lot quicker".

According to research conducted in 2003, nearly one in four people in the north-east of England are classed as clinically obese.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity