We’re often warned about the physical impact of obesity, but what about the emotional toll it can take?

Obesity continues to be a huge issue for UK healthcare. In fact, 62% of adults in the UK are overweight or obese.[1] This is a serious concern, as obesity be a factor in many serious health concerns like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.

However, the consequences of living with obesity can also be emotional as well as physical. We’re here to explore the ways obesity and mental wellbeing can interact.

Is obesity a mental health issue?

It’s important to establish that there is no direct causal link between mental health and obesity. The reason this is important to state is that there is often a stigma attached to overweight people that they are ‘slower’ or less intelligent than thinner people. This caricature holds no basis in truth.

Instead, we’re going to explore how mental health and obesity can impact each other in ways shown by research and statistics. Can mental health conditions make obesity more likely, and can being obese increase your chances of experiencing mental health concerns?

Eating disorders

Mental health can impact our weight at both ends of the spectrum, as evidenced by conditions like anorexia. Over the last four decades, the number of eating disorders has escalated hugely both in the UK and worldwide. In fact, it is estimated that there are over 1.6 million people struggling with an eating disorder in the UK.[2]

On the surface, eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia represent the opposite problem to obesity; causing sufferers to become extremely underweight rather than overweight. However, they do highlight a key connection between dietary habits and mental health.

This connection also presents itself in habits like binge eating, which is often a key cause of obesity. Binge eating compels people to consume huge quantities of food in a short period of time. Unlike other conditions like bulimia, sufferers rarely purge themselves afterwards. However, feelings of shame, guilt and even depression are common.

Obesity as a symptom: a vicious cycle

Although we cannot assume that just because someone is obese that they must be living with mental health concerns, obesity can be a symptom of psychological factors. For example, stress is one of the most common mental health concerns in the UK. According to the Mental Health Foundation’s 2018 report, 74% of people reported feeling so stressed in the last year that they were unable to cope. What’s more, 46% reported that they ate too much or ate unhealthily due to stress.[3]

Conditions like anxiety, stress and depression can lead to the use of food as a comfort or coping mechanism. They can also have a detrimental effect on motivation when it comes to activities like exercise and cooking healthy meals. As such, your likelihood of becoming obese rises with the appearance of these conditions. This can then create a vicious cycle, as being obese can reduce your motivation even further and make you feel more anxious or depressed.

If you’re struggling to lose weight, start the new year off right with safe and effective weight loss medication from Express Pharmacy. Both Xenical and Mysimba can help support you on your weight loss journey and meet your goals in a healthy way. And for further support, contact our team today. Call us on 0208 123 07 03 or use our online Live Chat service.

26% of all adults are obese, but losing weight doesn’t have to be a losing battle

Discussions around weight are often contentious, as the media pushes a narrative that being anything other than slim is a bad thing. This is not true, and being larger is not an inherently negative trait. However, being significantly overweight or obese is a significant health issue. Obesity has been proven to trigger a variety of serious long-term health problems – and particularly weight gain that is accounted for by visceral fat around the body’s internal organs.

Your weight is your domain, and it is up to you to find the weight at which you feel most comfortable and healthy. If you want to lose weight in order to lead a happier and healthier life, we’re here to help. Here is everything you need to know about obesity, including how to tackle it effectively.

What causes obesity?

Obesity is not something that can be determined based on appearance alone. The condition is defined by the impact that excess body fat has on an individual’s overall health. In the UK, rates of obesity have risen by almost 400% in the last 25 years.

Obesity is most often the result of gradual weight gain. There are several factors thought to contribute to rising rates of obesity, including the growing accessibly to fast foods and our increasingly sedentary lifestyles. We also tend to eat diets with high sugar levels, high levels of saturated fats and a lack of fresh fruits and vegetables. Binge eating is another key cause of the condition.

Although obesity can run in families, there is no evidence of a hereditary link. Instead, this is most likely due to parents passing down similar lifestyles and food choices to younger generations.

What effect does obesity have?

Obesity can affect you both physically and emotionally. Psychologically, the condition can significantly impact your self-esteem and confidence levels, while also increasing your risk of mental health concerns like depression. Lack of exercise and poor diet are common traits in both depression and obesity.

Physically, obesity can have a significant impact on the body over time, putting pressure on the organs, disrupting hormones and inhibiting the systems of the body. Some of the conditions which become more likely in the face of obesity include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, coronary heart disease, pregnancy problems and even certain kinds of cancer. Obesity can also result in increased aches and pains, breathlessness, difficulty sleeping, chest pain, fatigue and excess sweating.

The benefits of weight loss

When you are obese, losing weight can have a hugely positive effect on your health, wellbeing and daily life in general. Losing weight forces you to make lifestyle changes that can benefit your outlook over time; for example, you may find that you enjoy certain kinds of exercise, or take pleasure in creating healthy, home-cooked meals.

Losing weight eases your breathing, improves your sleep quality, decreases your blood pressure, improves your immune system and can increase your confidence and body image. It also lowers your risk of serious conditions like heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer.

How do you lose weight safely?

We’re all aware of some of the fad diets circulating the world of weight loss. Many of these make outlandish promises about helping you lose large amounts of weight incredibly quickly. Unfortunately, there is little evidence to suggest that these kinds of diets are effective, and in many cases they can actually put your health in danger.

Losing weight can be a long process, but it is all about making healthy lifestyle changes. Beginning and building on a programme of healthy eating and regular fitness can help you battle your obesity effectively. There is also medication available which can help you do this safely. Prescription weight loss medications like Xenical and Mysimba are proven to aid weight loss in an effective and healthy way. Taken correctly and supported by improvements to lifestyle they can help you to achieve continued, progressive weight loss.

Start the new year off right by establishing your weight loss resolutions now. Find safe and effective weight loss treatment right here at Express Pharmacy. Call us on 0208 123 07 03 or use our discreet live chat service.

A new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that more than a quarter of people globally are not getting enough physical exercise. This equates to around 1.4 billion people, a figure which has barely improved since 2001. What’s more, high income countries like the UK were among the least active.

The study, published in The Lancet Global Health, saw researchers look at data from 358 population-based surveys in 168 countries. They showed that in countries like the UK and the USA the number of inactive people has actually increased from 32% in 2001 to 37% in 2016. By contrast, low income countries’ results stayed stable at 16%.

Those classed as inactive engaged in less than 150 minutes of moderate exercise – or 75 minutes of intense exercise – per week.

Experts state that the reason wealthier countries are more prone to inactivity could be due to more sedentary jobs and hobbies, as well as car-centred travel. In lower income countries, people are more likely to have physical jobs and rely on walking for travel.

Women were also found to be less active than men in all of the world’s regions apart from East and South-East Asia. Researchers said this is likely to be due to a combination of factors, including extra childcare duties and cultural attitudes to women exercising. Co-author of the study, Dr Fiona Bull, commented on this aspect of the study’s results, saying:

“Addressing these inequalities in physical activity levels between men and women will be critical to achieving global activity targets and will require interventions to promote and improve women’s access to opportunities that are safe, affordable and culturally acceptable.”

Previously, WHO had been aiming for a global goal of reducing inactivity by 10% by 2025. In light of these figures however, they now say that this target will not be met.

Lead author of the study, Dr Regina Guthold, discussed the consequences of the findings in more detail, saying:

“Unlike other major global health risks, levels of insufficient physical activity are not falling worldwide, on average, and over a quarter of all adults are not reaching the recommended levels of physical activity for good health.”

Guthold continued: “Regions with increasing levels of insufficient physical activity are a major concern for public health and the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.”

How much exercise should you be getting?

The recommended amount of exercising you should be getting changes depending on what age group you fall into. Below you’ll find some recommendations based on data from Public Health England.

For children aged 5-18: 60 minutes of physical activity.

For adults aged 19-64: 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week.

For adults aged 65 and over: 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week, as well as strength exercises two days a week.

Activities that can count as moderate aerobic activity include fast walking, bike riding, hiking, water aerobics and sports such as basketball, volleyball and tennis. Vigorous activity may consist of running, swimming, gymnastics, martial arts or sports like football and rugby. Muscle strengthening exercises include weightlifting, push ups, sit ups, yoga and activities such as gardening.

Making time for physical activity is absolutely vital to our overall health. Inactivity increases your risk of a large number of health problems, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and even some cancers. These risks are increased further if you are overweight.

If weight loss could improve your health and fitness, you’ll find safe and effective weight loss medication right here at Express Pharmacy. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any queries. Just call 0208 123 07 03 or use our discreet Live Chat service.

There are plenty of reasons why we should be moving more

It’s no secret that exercise is a positive thing. We all know that working up a sweat is good for us, and that we should probably do more of it. From mobility to hormone release, keeping our bodies moving can have significant benefits, both physically and mentally.

Regular exercise can improve our blood flow, strengthen muscles and lead to healthier heart and lung function. And yet, the main motivator for exercise continues to be weight loss. As summer gets underway, many of us become motivated to try and achieve our ‘summer bodies’ and lose a few excess pounds.

But exercise must be seen as more than just a quick fix for our body goals if we’re ever going to reap the true rewards of its health benefits. A body that is aesthetically pleasing and easy on the eye is merely an indicator of the more important underlying health benefits.

Here are five incentives to get up and get moving outside of achieving your weight loss goals.

Exercise reduces your risk of serious conditions like cancer

The most important benefit of exercise is that it can improve your health in the long term. Regular exercise is a key component in reducing your risk of developing serious conditions later in life, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

In fact, figures from the NHS reveal that regular exercise can decrease your risk of developing colon cancer by up to 50%. What’s more, it is also thought to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer by a fifth (20%). UK Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines also state that physical activity can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 40%.

Exercise improves your sex drive

It’s not just your physical health that benefits from regular exercise – your mental health can see results, too. One example of this can be seen through the sex drive, which is boosted as you exercise more regularly.

Exercise releases endorphins, which are feel-good hormones which can increase your wellbeing and self-esteem, thus improving your libido. It can also improve your blood flow, even to the most sensitive parts of your body.

In fact, one study by the University of Texas found that exercise increases sex drive in pre-menopausal women, and can even help women whose drives have been lowered by antidepressants.

Exercise reduces stress

Another way that exercise can improve your mental health is by tackling stress. There are approximately 3 million people in the UK with an anxiety disorder, and around 40% of disability worldwide is due to anxiety or depression.

Although not an outright cure, exercise can help. Again, the release of endorphins are significant here. According to an online study by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, more than one in ten (14%) people use exercise as a way to cope with stress.

Exercise helps you sleep

Physical activity is a great way to make you feel more alert for the day ahead, but it can also help you feel more ready to rest when bedtime comes. Exercise is considered a natural way to treat conditions like insomnia, as figures suggest that those who exercise regularly experience better quality sleep at night.

In fact, a poll by the National Sleep Foundation found that exercisers sleep better than non-exercisers, and vigorous exercisers report the best quality sleep. Also, 44% of non-exercisers were found to be at moderate risk of sleep apnoea, compared to 19% of vigorous exercisers.

Exercise can help prevent back pain

More sick days are taken due to back pain than for any other health concern, costing the NHS roughly £500 million every year. But while vigorous exercise isn’t recommended without a GP’s advice if you’re already suffering from back pain, it can act as an effective preventative measure.

Even simple activities like swimming or walking can strengthen muscles and provide extra support to your spine, while popular pastimes like yoga can improve your mobility and flexibility.

There are plenty of benefits to exercise besides weight loss. Yet there are instances where individuals need additional support to achieve a healthy weight and support their long-term wellbeing goals. For safe and effective weight loss medication, contact the Express Pharmacy team on 0208 123 07 03 or use our discreet Live Chat service.

Research shows that there is still a long way to go when it comes to mental health awareness and support...

A recent survey by ADP UK has found that UK employers are showing a lack of interest in their employees’ mental wellbeing despite the fact that many employees are suffering from significant mental health concerns.

The study, which assessed 1,300 workers, revealed that almost a third of British workers (31%) feel that their employer has little to no interest in their mental health. Despite this, a fifth (20%) of employees feel stressed out on a daily basis, and a third (33%) are even considering seeking new employment because the pressure is so bad.

Managing Director of ADP UK, Jeff Phipps, says:

“A certain level of stress is natural, even healthy, in the workplace, but it’s important that it doesn’t get out of hand. Employees who endure consistently high levels of stress are in danger of suffering from anxiety and even burnout. This can lead to more serious mental health issues.”

It seems mental health is worst among younger employees, as 22% of workers under 35 say they experience stress every day. 42% say it’s so bad they are considering a different job.

In a separate survey exploring mental health, one in six UK adults said they had experienced some kind of neurotic health problem in the last seven days, with anxiety and depression being the most common disorders. What’s more, a recent Psychiatric Morbidity Survey reveals that there are around 3 million people in the UK living with anxiety, and a further 3 million living with depression.

Not only are these concerns common, they are also serious. A study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) compared the effects of depression to those of physical conditions like arthritis, asthma, angina and diabetes. They concluded that the effect of depression on a person’s ability to function was up to 50% more serious than those of all four physical conditions combined.

What more can we do?

Understanding mental health conditions is the first step to dealing with them effectively. ADP UK suggest that employers take the time to research the symptoms and signs of conditions like anxiety and depression in order to put the necessary initiatives in place. Jeff Phipps states that this can be both a moral course of action and a smart business investment.

“Stress and mental health issues are one of the main causes of employee absence and staff turnover, which means supporting employees isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s also a worthwhile investment […]

“Employee assistance programmes and occupational health services are also imperative in creating a safe location where employees can go in confidence If they’re facing an issue.”

Mental health can have physical consequences

Mental health conditions like anxiety and depression can be difficult to spot because, often, the effects cannot be seen. However, both depression and anxiety can lead to physical symptoms.

Mental health disorders like depression often result in sufferers feeling constantly tired, as sleep quality can become poor. This may lead sufferers to take comfort in unhealthy habits like overeating, smoking and a lack of physical exercise. Sometimes anxiety and depression also lead to low sex drive and, in men, conditions like erectile dysfunction become more common. This can lead to a vicious cycle in which the mental symptoms worsen due to growing concern over physical symptoms.

For healthcare information, treatment and support about a range of health conditions, including smoking, weight gain and erectile dysfunction, contact Express Pharmacy today. Call our team on 0208 123 07 03 or use our discreet Live Chat service.