... specially in the UK!

French people are used to making fun of Americans because of their high level of obesity. They should be careful and take care of their own weight as well. Because almost one-ninth of french youth suffer from being underweight.
Indeed, French youth have the second highest level of underweight (15,9 %) after the UK (16,8%), as the European Commission reported this year. They are followed by Austria (14.5 %), Slovakia (13.9 %) and Latvia (13.6 %).

On the other side, the obesity rate has increased in almost every European country.
In this case the UK takes first place (again!). More than half of their youth suffer of weight disorders (53.1 %). Germany (42,7%) and Malta (47,8%) follow.

Several reasons explain this. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), “First, eating habits have changed. Causes of changing eating habits among young
people can be of a social, cultural and family-connected nature, but it may also be that young people are more influenced by their peers, new popular lifestyles and/or an ever expanding number of new products.” More meals, often unhealthy take-away dishes or fast food, are being consumed outside the home or school than ever before. Young people are influenced by a still growing and often aggressive advertising market.
Secondly, young people's increasing body weight is also caused by a growing inactivity among youth. The culture of inactivity among groups of young people developed in the last century is a
result of the development and availability of new technology: the massive expansion and
availability of cars has reduced the physical activity levels among youth. The same goes for
television sets and the number of TV-channels in an average home as well as the personal
computer and electronic games of all kinds. In addition, the number of hours that an average young
person spends doing homework has increased, which further limits the time available to
active leisure-time pursuits.
In almost two thirds of EU Member States, the overweight population counts for more than one
third of the population aged 25-34.

The solution could be : switch off the TV, get your butt off the computer and go for a walk. It doesn’t mean you need to be member of a fitness center. Walking half an hour per day or biking to work is enough to keep in fit, according to specialists.