People become overweight or obese as a result of consuming more calories (energy) than they expend (burn).
There are a number of factors that cause people to gain weight:

• Lifestyle factors – over eating, sedentary lifestyle, low self-esteem or depression.
• Medical conditions – under active thyroid gland or polycystic ovary syndrome are examples of medical conditions that can lead to weight gain.
• Medication – insulin or oral hypoglycaemic tablets used to treat diabetes, some antidepressants, or epilepsy medication, corticosteroids or beta-blockers.
• Genetics – certain people are genetically pre-disposed to being overweight.
  (The above factors are not listed in any particular order of risk or importance.)

The most prevalent factor in the UK is lifestyle. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) identify these as:

• Food intake – household calorie intake has declined since 1970, but this does not take into account the increased popularity of eating out (where food is likely to be higher in fat and sugar than that eaten at home). There is also a trend towards larger portions of many food items.
• Physical inactivity – in the 2015/16 Sport England Active Lives Survey, 26% of adults were classified as inactive (that is, doing less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week). Those who complete 150 minutes of activity per week, Male 63%, Female 57%.
• Social and psychological factors – the habits and customs of a person’s social network can affect their diet. Some people with low self-esteem or depression may over-consume foods high in fat, sugar, and calories (the so called ‘comfort foods’).
• Economic changes – the more income a country has, the more people rely on labour-saving devices, which cause a decrease in physical activity. People in more affluent countries also tend to consume more processed foods as well as meals outside of the home. This factor partly explains why being overweight or obese is more prevalent in developed and developing countries. (Source: cks.nice.org.uk/obesity)

Risks of being overweight

The obesity epidemic is now a worldwide problem leading to increased prevalence of the following high risk health conditions:

• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease and strokes .
• Certain types of cancer
• Osteoarthritis
• Fatty liver disease
• Kidney disease
• Asthma
• Pregnancy problems, such as high blood sugar during pregnancy, high blood pressure, and increased risk of caesarean delivery (C section)

• Gastro-oesophageal reflux
• Sleep apnoea
• Gallstones
• Stress incontinence
• Fertility problems
• Erectile dysfunction
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Gout
• Respiratory problems

Overweight people may also experience the following which may impact their day to day activities:

• Lethargy
• Shortness of breath
• Back and joint pain 
• Decreased mobility
• Excess sweating
• Difficulty sleeping
• Snoring
• Skin irritation
• Low self-esteem
• Isolation from friends and family
• Depression

The complications of being overweight or obese can be reduced simply by losing weight.

The Benefits of Losing Weight

The benefits of losing weight include the reduced risk of developing the conditions previously mentioned as well as improvement in a person’s general wellbeing such as improved physical fitness, mental attitude, willingness to partake in social activities, improved sex drive especially in men and overall quality of life.

Losing weight can be beneficial in many ways, but often people feel it is insurmountable as well as find it frustrating. It’s very common for people to think that unless they lose lots of weight, they will not be any healthier. This is a misconception. Health benefits resulting from weight loss are evident with a weight reduction as low as 5-10 per cent of their original body weight. This means that an individual that weighs 200 pounds will benefit greatly from losing 10 to 20 pounds, although greater long term health benefits can be achieved if a person can reduce their weight and body mass index to a healthy range.

An obese person who loses 10kg in weight could reduce their mortality by 20-25%, reduce their blood pressure by 10mmHg, their cholesterol by 10%, improve their lung function, insulin sensitivity, ovarian function, experience reduced back or joint pain, and less breathlessness or sleep apnoea.

Healthcare professionals will use the metric measurement of kilogrammes however a lot of your customers will still use the imperial measurements of stones, pounds and ounces. Therefore, when discussing weight loss with customers always use the same unit of measurement that they use.