According to an article by Judith Hodgson, adult obesity rates have tripled since 1982. Currently one in four men and one in five women are classified as obese in the UK. Obesity can lead to health problems such as arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, strokes and certain cancers.

Dr Paul Newman, General Practitioner, Dinmont Road Medical Practice, is calling for a change in attitudes towards obesity. He said: “The number of obese men has almost doubled in the last decade, while obesity in woman has increased by 50%. The implications for society are immense and the trend is set to continue unless we change our attitudes to obesity.”

Dr Jason Gill, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow speaking on the importance of physical activity in the maintenance of a healthy body weight said, “Current guidelines recommend that adults routinely perform at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity.