Survey discovers failure to diagnose obesity in patients

ALARMING gaps in the rate of medical diagnosis of overweight and obese people in Ireland are revealed in a new study.

Almost three out of four (73%) of people who joined a weight-loss programme had never been diagnosed as either overweight or obese by a healthcare professional.

It also exposed the low level of physical activity among the population generally with just 35% of those joining Unislim claiming to meet the recommended 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day.

Nine out of ten of the 635 members surveyed said the Government needed to do more to promote healthy eating and exercise next year.

When asked what policymakers should do, almost half (47%) said more public amenities should be provided to encourage physical activity.

One in three urged the Government to promote easy-to-understand nutritional guidelines and recommended daily allowances.

One in five said more medical diagnosis of obesity was needed to help achieve a healthier Ireland.

Unsurprisingly, two out of three members interviewed for the survey to mark Unislim becoming a member of the Nutrition and Health Foundation (NHF) blamed their weight problem on a poor diet and exercise regime.

NHF manager and dietitian, Dr Muireann Cullen, warned that the €1.6bn needed to treat physical inactivity in Ireland would only increase in 2012 if Ireland’s obesity epidemic was not stopped. “Now, more than ever, we need a cohesive national framework to tackle this multi-faceted epidemic,” she said.

Just 38% correctly identified that, on average, six out of every 10 adults are overweight or obese in Ireland.

Half of those questioned had thought that four out of every 10 adults was the national average.

Eight out of 10 believed more women than men were obese. Almost nine out of 10 said that joining the Unislim weight loss programme had a positive effect on their families’ eating habits as well as their own.

Just over 40% said their lifestyle change had resulted in their partner also losing weight.

Almost half (46%) felt happier following their weight loss while almost a third (32%) felt healthier and almost one in five (18%) were more energised.

Unislim managing director, Fiona Gratzer, said the organisation had been to the forefront in encouraging people to adopt a healthier lifestyle for 40 years and was delighted it was joining the NHF in driving such a vital agenda forward.