The fat man of Europe…

Well, that’s what we were called in reports of a study out this week which shows the UK tops the obesity league with the fattest rates across Europe.

While the average obesity rate in the EU is 15.5 percent, Britons are bursting at their belts with one in four of us now classified as obese.

Pulled together by the European Commission and Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development, it draws on the evidence and concludes with concerns over the pressures that the situation is putting on healthcare and the wider economy.

It’s something we, as an industry, are well aware of and I am proud to say that we have more responsibility than ever before to do something about it.

We are working closely with the medical profession and have just agreed a Joint Consultative Forum with a number of Royal Medical Colleges and Faculties. Not only will this encourage the use of exercise in both the prevention of ill-health and treatment of disease but will see patients coming through your doors for a prescription of exercise. I think it’s vital that we work together with this sector to develop an evidence base for fitness in the use of ‘exercise as medicine’ and help improve the standards of our training and the skills of our workforce.

And, as you’ve seen over the last couple of weeks, we’re taking a more prominent role with industry, the DH and third sector too, thanks to the appointment of our Chairman, Fred Turok, to serve as Co-Chair of the Physical Activity Network for the Government Responsibility Deal. It allows us, to work together with other sectors such a food, drink and retail to take on the mammoth job of turning the tide on the obesity epidemic and improving the long term health of the nation.

It’s not going to be easy. It’s not going to happen over night. But we won’t be sniggered at by the sophisticated French or the slimline Scandinavians any longer. We’re more than ready for it….

Dave Stalker, Executive Director, FIA