goodtoknow says: Obesity amongst children in the UK is on the increase with 27 percent of children now obese (seriously overweight). Obesity is linked to many long-term health complications such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Your child also has a higher chance of being an obese adult if they're overweight. Caused by an unhealthy diet and not enough exercise, we're now seeing the first cases of Type 2 diabetes in children as a direct result of overweight. Rarely the genetic condition, Prader- Willi or hyprothyroidism or Cushings syndrome can cause obesity in your child.

For a full medical explanation of the causes, symptoms and treatments of obesity from patient.co.uk, read on.

If you are obese or overweight, you have an increased risk of developing various health problems. A realistic aim for many people is to lose 5-10% of your weight over three months. This is often about 5-10 kg (10 kg is about one and a half stone.) This modest amount of weight loss will greatly reduce your increased health risks. The best chance of losing weight, and keeping the weight off, is to be committed to a change in lifestyle. This includes eating a healthy diet and doing some regular physical activity.

Are you obese or overweight?

Body mass index

Your body mass index (BMI) is a good estimate of how much of your body is made up of fat. It relates your weight to your height. You can work out your BMI by dividing your weight (in kilograms) by the square of your height (in metres).
So, for example, if you weigh 70 kg and are 1.75 metres tall, your BMI is 70 / 1.75 x 1.75, which is 22.9. Alternatively, your practice nurse can measure and weigh you, and tell you your BMI.

• Next: BMI classed as health risk

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