Two in three British people think they are above their ideal body weight – and many feel there are an alarmingly high number of obese people in the UK![](http://cdn.yougov.com/cumulus_uploads/inlineimage/2014-05-30/UK%20obesity.jpeg)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) called on the NHS this week to offer slimming classes to overweight people. They say modest targets of 3% in weight reduction could cut blood pressure and reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes, and overcome a psychological barrier where larger targets cause people to be disheartened and give up.
A new YouGov survey finds that most people in Britain are dissatisfied with their body weight.
Two thirds (65%) say they are above their ideal body weight, while just 27% say they at their ideal weight. The figure hardly varies across demographics. 67% of women feel dissatisfied, but so do 61% of men. And although the figure is lower in London, still 54% feel above their ideal weight there compared to 67% of people in the North.
Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, and it costs the NHS £5.1bn every year. It affects around one in four people in the UK, however on average British people estimate that 43% are obese.
A study released this week found that there are more young women who are overweight in the UK than there are in any other country in Western Europe. 8% of women aged under 20 in the UK are obese while 29% are overweight (have a BMI of over 25), the study found. Men aged under 20 fared slightly better, with 26% being overweight or obese, however among all age groups more men (67%) were found to be overweight or obese than women (57%).
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