There is a causal link between being inactive, having a poor diet, and obesity. This strategy plans to tackle this problem.
The estimated annual cost of treating diseases related to obesity and being overweight in Islington was £68.8 million in 2007. This number is expected to increase to £73.6 million by 2015. In London, it is estimated that today’s generation of obese children and young people will cost the London economy £111 million per year in both healthcare costs and productivity loss as they enter the workforce as obese adults.
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In Islington obesity contributes to about one in ten deaths each year. The prevalence of obesity in Year 6 children is higher than both England and London averages. The prevalence of obesity in adults is estimated to be 18.8% - lower than the average for both London and England.
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Only 9% of Islington’s GP registered population report that they meet the recommended levels of physical activity of 30 minutes moderate activity five times per week. Sixteen per cent of Islington adults participate in at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity three times per week, but an estimated 160,000 adults in the borough do not meet the recommended levels of physical activity at all. Increasing physical activity levels can improve individual quality of life and reduce the risk of premature mortality or illness from diseases associated with inactivity.
Low levels of activity, increased periods of sedentary behaviour, and poor diet can have significant impacts on health and wellbeing. They are major risk factors for ill health and premature death, and contribute to the development of a number of chronic diseases including cancer, liver disease, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, poor mental health and obesity.