Below is some background information to the most common weight-related health problems that may develop.

Coronary heart disease: One of the key aspects of heart health is the ability of the heart and its surrounding arteries to circulate blood strongly and freely round the body.Being overweight can damage heart health in a number of ways, mainly by raising the level of unhealthy facts, such as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides, in the blood.A build-up of these fats over time can narrow or clog the arteries, a condition known as atherosclerosis, and this in turn can lead to chronic diseases such as angina, or acute conditions such as a heart attack.

High blood pressure, which is three times more common among overweight people than slim people, is also a big risk factor.And even where there are no problems with blood fats or blood pressure, just carrying excess weight, especially around the middle, seems to increase the likelihood of developing heart disease.

Type 2 Diabetes: The condition affects 1.4 million people in the UK and possibly a further million who have not had their condition diagnosed, according to the charity Diabetes UK.Type 2 diabetes is sometimes called ‘late onset’ because, unlike type 1, it tends to develop in adult life, and being overweight is a big risk factor: over 80 per cent of adults with type 2 diabetes have a BMI of more than 25 when they are diagnosed.Children and teenagers are also being diagnosed more frequently as obesity rises.

Type 2 diabetes is caused when the insulin that the pancreas produces in the body fails to control blood sugar properly (insulin resistance) or when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin for the body’s needs.Research shows that excess weight, especially around the waistline, increases insulin resistance so the pancreas has to work harder to get the same effect.Having too much sugar in the blood causes symptoms such as excessive thirst, blurred vision, fatigue and passing urine frequently.Having too much insulin in the blood causes other problems, such as increasing blood pressure and raising the level of various fats in the blood.This puts people with type 2 diabetes at high risk of heart disease and stroke; untreated diabetes can also cause serious damage to the eyes,kidneys, nerves and circulation.

Cancers: Cancer Research UK states that after smoking , obesity is the second biggest preventable cause of cancers.The links between being overweight and cancer are complex and not all of them are fully understood.

However, it seems that obesity can unbalance the function of certain hormones, which could increase the risk of hormonally-sensitive cancers in women, such as cancer of the uterus, ovaries, cervix and endometrium.Excess abdominal fat (the apple shape) has also been linked to a higher risk of breats cancer in women after menopause.Cancers of the digestive system, such as colon or rectal cancer, may have more of a link to a high-fat, low-fibre diet, which is likely to lead to weight gain.

High Blood Pressure: Blood pressure is measured by taking two readings: the systolic pressure ( the first, higher figure, taken when the heart contracts) and dystolic pressure( the second, lower pressure, taken when the heart is relaxed).A normal level is 120/80,and a reading that is consistently over 140/90 is unhealthily high.Many people with high blood pressure have no symtoms, but that does not neccessarily mean that there is no problem: untreated high blood pressure can cause a stroke, heart disease or damage to other organs in the body.

Being overweight is not the only cause of high blood pressure: eating too much salt,drinking too much alcohol and being inactive can also contribute.The good news is that as well as losing weight, changing your diet and lifestyle is a quick and effective way to reduce your blood pressure.

Gall Bladder Disease:One large study found that overweight women were 33 per cent more likely to develop gallstones than a similar group of healthy-weight women.Gallstones are a painful side-effect of the build-up of fats in the blood, as they are caused by clumps of cholesterol in the gall bladder, which plays a part in digestion.Cancer of the gall bladder is a rarer complication.