"The UK is the 'fat man' of Europe," writes Professor Terence Stephenson in 'Measuring Up', reporting on the ongoing crisis of obesity by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC).

And he is not far from the truth, as in England, 24.8% of adults are obese and 61.7% are either overweight or obese, according to the Health and Social Care Information Centre. This is an alarmingly high percentage, the fact itself making Britain take the case of having the highest obesity records in the whole of Western Europe. This winter saw to a steep increase of obesity and over-weight patients. Brushing the shocking statistics aside however, one can see how different factors come into play when dealing with the issue.

 London has a high latitude of 51.5074° N, meaning lower temperatures and colder climate in comparison to other European countries. This could suggest that there would be an increase in the amount of time spent indoors and the level of inactivity of an individual. One look at the cold atmosphere outside would be enough to excuse oneself from taking a beneficial jog or brisk walk. Combine this with rapidly advancing technology and a good Wi-Fi signal, and one could be tempted to stay indoors for the entire winter.

 This does not help the fact that one would tend to consume more in the colder weather, as Ira Ockene, MD, a cardiologist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School explains in an article from ‘Everyday Health’, stating that “winter eating could just be our primitive impulses urging us to stockpile for the cold months ahead”.

Similarly, a study Ockene had published in the 2005 journal 'Nature', discovered that food consumption patterns do differ greatly season to season, as with bodily weight. According to his study, he concluded ‘that less light prompts us to seek food and eat it faster, offering another explanation for why we eat more as the days get shorter’, as the American website, ‘Everyday Health’ reported.

 This makes it no surprise that obesity levels are as high as they are now in the UK, especially with the confectionery and food industry giving rise to more, high content fat and salt products that appeal to consumers for their satisfactory, flavoursome taste. With the overwhelming input, and less output, there is little control over the weight gained and blood pressure during these freezing months.

 On the other hand, the 2015 State of the UK Fitness Industry released that there were over 1.5 million registered fitness members in the UK, meaning the health of the nation was far from being a critical issue. In comparison with the rest of the world, the pollution rates of the UK are not as drastic as one may expect. So with over 1,943 public leisure centres available for use in the country, there is nothing to lose for a short, yet worthwhile, trip to a local gym.

Statistics sourced from:

Professor Terence Stephenson’s quote and further statistics: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/loseweight/Pages/statistics-and-causes-of-the-obesity-epidemic-in-the-UK.aspx

Ockene’s Study: http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/why-do-we-eat-more-in-winter.aspx

Fitness members: http://www.leisuredb.com/blog/2015/6/19/2015-state-of-the-uk-fitness-industry-report-published-yesterday

Number of Leisure centres: http://www.kgbanswers.co.uk/how-many-leisure-centres-are-there-in-britain-and-how-many-people-use-them/3472118