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Plenty to think about here Kelsie….I'd imagine lots of people (particularly those of your generation) are nodding in agreement while they're reading your comments, but what about the solution? Every problem - or “challenge” as we all say these days – has one. Take a look at some of the articles around healthy eating, workouts for the time-poor, trying to make the best lifestyle choices. Whether the "challenge" is around diet, training, breaking away from peer group pressure or any of the other points you raise, the answer is invariably helped by understanding your goal, having a plan, breaking it down into small chunks & sticking to it! Do you know the answer to the question “how do you eat an elephant?” – one bite at a time :o)

Posted 17 August 2010 at 22:41 by Anna Lovelock

Hmmm....Throwing my 2 pence in I myself got overweight because i was told i was fat when i was a healthy, Perfect BMI, Curvy young girl Comfort eatting was my worst enemy while being bullied however there is a number of reasons we have this problem Social Pressures, Technology, Health and Safety (Yes, in P.E we were stopped doing most things that involved running around and we were just taught the TACTICS) Lack of safety on the streets and in the parks and alot of jobs are less active than they were. Oh and the major one....Fast Food, Convienience food....avaliable everywhere mums too tired after work or you just dont have time to cook a good meal. however this has NO EXCUSE as im currently on a low fat, low calorie diet and most of my foods are...microwaveable in 2-5 minutes....thats faster than ordering a takeout!! Note: I was watching a programme the other day, showed me easy ways to work out portions...pack of cards for your meat, a fist size for carbs, tennis ball for fruit/veg (no one wants to use weights when they only have 30 minutes to cook)...Never learnt THAT in school...but i did learn school's sausage rolls are yummy! We need to educate children, add nutrition advice on midwife visits, teach people simple ways to work out whats healthy and whats not...examples are, 5 a day! teaspoon of salt! smoking kills! i think healthy conveniance food needs to be advertised like mcdonalds is! theres some fast recipe adverts out these days, mostly desserts, cakes, yummy FATTY stuff =D also, this 'change for life' it didnt tell me much on their website, just that going to the park etc is good and a pie chart for portions of types of food (hate that chart because you can make the circle bigger to get more food!) explaining exercise with pictures, how many and how often...is great, and you guys manage to plan AND do a video so it is possible (basically a written version of your videos) plus on their site they mainly have links for biking and bike hire...money! most obese people are poor, they treat themselves to a take out instead of a shopping trip! Ive gone on too long... =D

Posted 16 August 2010 at 17:05 by Kelsie-Kay De La Haye

Some interesting points here guys, it seems that perhaps there are many, many reasons for obesity and that one solution will not fit all. In some people the root cause may be phycological, for others, the root cause may be poor family nutrition, for others it may be the root cause is lifestyle based, however, one thing for sure is that once a person is obese, ALL the factors join together and that is why a sensitive and understanding approach to this is required. The bootcamp mentality is TV fodder. Nicola Hughes Life Coach

Posted 6 August 2009 at 10:45 by Nicola Hughes

Perhaps obesity has always been there because people are just fundementally lazy. Most people I know, even in their 20's would rather take a drug to stop their appatite than faff about with gyms and diets which are so boring. i guess if you are brought up on McDonalds ads then you will eat McDonalds, the government has taken advertisers money fast and not thought about the consequences, fast food, fast fat. Tell me where did spud u like go, that was a great idea, my mum used to take me to that for a treat. Poppy

Posted 24 July 2009 at 19:31 by Poppy Barry

Thanks Sharon, if you ever take a walk around a hospital it is worth noting that alot of obesity problems exist in the staff, which demonstrates that the people who are trying to enforce a way of life infact themselves do not really understand the issues enough to take them on board in their own lives. There is an irony to the cost of obesity to the NHS when their own staff become part of the problem and not the solution. This brings me back to the point, do we watch the issue unfold as part of a greater underlying need to cmfort and escape reality, like sugary foods, glasses of wine and endless treats? Perhaps the human weakness is comfort even at the cost of its own self growth, worth, integrity..........in the end does society lack belief in the very things it professes to believe in?

Posted 31 March 2009 at 17:32 by Lucy Case

I guess we don't have obesity overload as the % of those who are overweight keeps growing. The cost of obesity is and will continue to grow for the NHS, so I think we need to keep trying to prevent obesity. I'm a slim person, but really like to see the videos with Katie in, good for her. I love seeing people who are over weight get out there and walk, or do any exercise to take control of the situation. Keep talking. Sharon

Posted 29 March 2009 at 09:39 by Sharon Doherty

Fair point Brian, keep a look out for our new High BMI coaching series starting soon. I hope here to achieve something different than the standard just "do it" approach and try and help people understand the journey of weight-loss.

Posted 17 March 2009 at 17:32 by Lucy Case

I think there is a danger we have always been "watching" the problem, rather than just accepting there has always been obesity just as there has always been robbery and homosexuality. Maybe we just need to accept people are different, have different brains, hormones, genes, drives and outcomes. I am sure there are health related issues to "obesity" just as there are for practically every minority health group. It would be worth asking why the focus has become so prevalent now.

Posted 9 March 2009 at 16:54 by Brian Smitt