An article on the front page of the Sunday Express this weekend highlighted the UK’s increasing addiction to ultraprocessed and industrially-made foods, saying we’re in danger of being the ‘fattest in country in Europe’ by 2030.
September will see a panel of leading healthcare professionals meet in London at The International Food Addiction and Comorbidities Conference to discuss the crisis that is estimated to be behind the ill health of around 10 million people in the UK.
Panel organiser Dr Jen Unwin is a clinical psychologist who is married to Dr David Unwin, who discovered the potential of reversing Type 2 diabetes through following a low carb diet.
Dr Jen Unwin said of the healthcare emergency the country is facing: ‘Some 14% of the adult population is addicted to junk food and this is closely associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes.
‘The health disaster is already happening and it’s time for the World Health Organisation (WHO) to recognise refined sugars, grains, and ultra-processed foods can be addictive and cause misery for millions.’
It’s estimated that the current impact on the UK economy from poor health caused by a poor diet stands at around £58 billion a year.
Obesity is accepted as the biggest risk factor for type 2 diabetes. With three in five adults in England now overweight or obese, patients are increasingly given the option of lifestyle changes that can mean they will never need to go on drugs.
Britain is set to become the ‘fattest country in Europe’ by 2030, the WHO predicts, with one in four UK adults estimated to be obese by 2040.