In an annual report, England's first female Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Professor Dame Sally Davies said obesity carries the same threats to the nation as terrorism and natural disasters. The increasing rates are threatening to break the nation's productivity and overpower the National Health Service (NHS).

Women were urged to lose weight to lower the increasing rates of obesity during pregnancy. Sally raised that obesity should be treated as a "national risk" as obesity can be passed on to the next generation.

"Action is required across all of society to prevent obesity and its associated problems for shortening women's lives and affecting their quality of life," said Davies who stressed that obesity has to become a national priority.

Steps must to be taken to address the environmental and educational factors that cause the epidemic. Actions aimed to empower women to lead healthier lifestyles should also be created.

Adding obesity to the national risk plans means it would be given the same attention as other crises such as climate change and terrorism. Putting a blind eye on the issue puts the health of future generations and their productivity at risk.

In the UK, around 51 percent of women in their child-bearing phase (aged 25 to 34 years old) are either overweight or obese. When these women reach 45 to 54 years old, the obesity rate increases to 63 percent.

Obesity increases the chances of premature births and miscarriages. Obese mothers also pass on higher chances of developing obesity and heart disease to their unborn children. Davies warned that the common belief of "eating for two" during pregnancy puts the health of both unborn babies and mothers at risk.

"Elevating the problem of obesity to a national risk could help to address the current laissez faire attitude to this huge and growing health catastrophe," said Professor Nick Finer from the Institute of Cardiovascular Science at the University College London.

Without intervention, rising obesity rates could lead NHS into bankruptcy, added Finer. This comes with much fear that future, younger generations could die ahead of their parents.

Photo: Tony Alter | Flickr