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British People Are Getting 'Fatter Than Pigs', New Study Finds

British People Are Getting 'Fatter Than Pigs', New Study Finds

Pigs appear to be getting leaner while humans are letting themselves go

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers

Humans are quickly becoming fatter than pigs, according to a new piece of research.

A study commissioned by the Agriculture and Horticultural Development Board found that over the past two decades the body fat percentage of pigs has plummeted from well over 30 percent to around 16 percent.

Christine Walsh, who was part of the team that sponsored the study into pig fat, said: "Pigs have changed a lot since 1990 and are pretty lean compared to what people may think."

And these shocking new figures show that while pigs' health seems to be going in one direction, that of humans is going in the complete opposite.

This new study coincides with statistics from the latest government Health Survey for England, which found that the British public have been getting larger and larger.

PA

Back in 1970, just 3.5 percent of the UK was obese, a number which rose to 15 percent in 1993. But this figure has since risen again to more than a quarter, with 28 percent of the country now considerably overweight today.

And, unsurprisingly, this has correlated with a rise in weight, with the average middle-aged man in 1993 weighing 12st 6lb, rising to 13st 5lb today. And for women the trend is much the same, rising from 10st 8lb to 11st 6lb.

Susan Jebb is the professor of diet and population health at Oxford University and recently carried out a piece of research which analysed the body fat levels of almost 400,000 adults in the UK.

She found that the typical middle-aged man with the national average BMI of 27.5 had between 21 and 25 percent body fat, while for women it was between 33 to 38 percent.

PA

Speaking to The Times, she said: "If the average pig has 16 percent body fat then for sure that is lower than the average person in the UK."

Fredrik Karpe, professor of metabolic medicine at Oxford University, added: "Certainly the pigs have gone in one direction [leaner] and the humans have gone in the other direction and now the humans have overtaken the pigs in fat levels.

"If pigs could talk they might well tell each other, 'You look as fat as a human'."

Earlier this year, a vegan revealed how they lost almost 10 stone after ditching a diet of pizza and fizzy drinks for one of clean eating and working out in the gym.

Harvey Quirke, from Brighton, says he has always struggled with his weight and that it impacted every aspect of his life, from relationship with his girlfriend to avoiding holidays and suffering from panic attacks.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Health