Obesity is rather a consequence of modern life than a result of over-eating or a lack of exercise, according to UK government officials and researchers quoted by media reports Sunday.

Health secretary Alan Johnson made a speech at the Parliament Friday explaining the causes of increasing obesity in UK. He said obesity is "a consequence of abundance, convenience and underlying biology."

A woman walks along the boardwalk while leaving the US Open tennis tournament in New York on September 4 2007 (photo: Xinhua/Reuters)

"The chilling reality is that modern life makes us overweight," Johnson noted. "In a sense, we are the victims of our economic success. Tackling this problem calls for a fundamental shift in approach."

Also, in a report sponsored by the Health Department, it is found the technological revolution of the 20th century has led to weight gain for most people because their bodies and biological make-up are "out of step with our surroundings." The report is the result of a two-year study into the causes of obesity involving almost 250 experts and scientists.

Agreeing with the idea, David King, UK government's chief scientific adviser and head of the Foresight program, added, "Stocking up on food was key to survival in prehistoric times, but now with energy-dense, cheap foods, labour-saving devices, motorised transport and sedentary work, obesity is rapidly becoming a consequence of modern life." 

The so-called obesity "epidemic" would take at least 30 years to reverse, some researchers suggested.

If current obesity growth rates continue, they noted, some 60 percent of men, 50 percent of women and 25 percent of children in Britain will be obese by 2050.

Associated chronic health problems are projected to cost society an additional 45.5 billion pounds (US$ 92.57 billion) per year, they warned.

(Agencies via Xinhua News Agency October 21, 2007)