Obesity is a serious and common problem in the UK that affects 1 in every 4 adults and 1 in 5 children aged 10 to 11 which can result in potential long term health problems. 

The coronavirus pandemic has brought along so many challenges and with most people being stuck at home, eating habits obviously changed and so has the lack of physical activity, especially for those that were shielding. The BBC reported that obesity actually doubles the risk of needing hospital treatment from COVID-19 and increases the risk of dying by nearly 50%¹. This also means that the risk of developing diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes is very likely.

There is a lot of information floating around us about eating and drinking healthier, from supermarkets to social media, so why are people choosing to ignore these messages?

Put simply, if obesity is ignored, it will kill.

Prevention is better than cure so you and your pharmacy team can support customers by offering brief advice and tips on maintaining a healthy weight as well as promoting the on-going health benefits it brings.  This module will explore how to achieve a healthy weight alongside physical activity (covered in part 2 of this counter excellence).

Objectives

After studying this module, you will be able to understand:

• The dangers associated with being overweight
• What is a healthy weight?
• Benefits of maintaining a healthy weight
• What is a healthy balanced diet?
• Top tips for eating and drinking healthier

^{1 www.bbc.com/news/health-53921141}