CHOLESTEROL
CRISIS
It’s being called the cholesterol crisis, and millions are
at risk according to the National Diet & Nutrition Survey.
The official study reveals
the scale of the national obesity epidemic, and that almost
half of all adults are carrying dangerously
high
levels of cholesterol, the hidden killer which clogs the arteries
and causes heart disease.
The survey points to poor diet and lack of exercise as the
cause – but
how much does the general public know about cholesterol?
A quarter
of men (25%) and one fifth of women (20%) who took part in
the latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) (2001)
were obese, according to the findings of volume 4 of the survey
published by the Food Standards Agency and the Department
of Health.
The proportion of obese adults has risen considerably in the
14-year period since the adult NDNS was last carried out (1987),
with numbers
of obese men rising from 8% and women from 12% to the figures
published today. The survey also shows that levels of obesity
in men have
risen faster than those of women.
In addition, 41% of men and 33% of women were overweight, according
to volume 4 of the NDNS 2001. Figures are based on calculations
of Body Mass Index (BMI) (1), where a BMI between 25 to 30
is overweight, and a BMI of 30 or more is obese.
The NDNS provides details of adult eating patterns, with volume
4 of the survey focusing on information about physical activity,
nutritional status through analysis of blood and physical measurements.
Those aged 50 to 64 years were most likely to be obese, with
32% of men and 22% of women in this age group falling into
this category,
compared to 18% of men and 14% of women in the 19 to 24 age
group.
The NDNS 2001 asked participants in the survey to keep a seven-day
physical activity diary. Based on information from the diaries,
slightly more than a third of men (35%) and a quarter of women
(26%) did enough physical activity to meet the current Department
of Health recommended level (3) despite the fact that approximately
70% of those surveyed claimed to be fairly or very physically
active.
Additionally, almost half (48%) of all adults had levels of
cholesterol in their blood above the optimal level (2), with
the proportion
of those with cholesterol above the optimal level increasing
with age. High levels of cholesterol in the blood are associated
with
increased risk of coronary heart disease. 59% of men and 75%
of women in the 50 to 64 year age group had cholesterol levels
in
their blood above the optimal level.
If you are concerned
about a health issue, you should contact your GP; you can also
get
information and advice from NI Chest
Heart and Stroke Association on
Tel:
028 9032 0184
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