Leeds World Champion Boxer Fights Obesity

Yorkshire’s world boxing champion Paul “Silky” Jones is challenging people to use National Obesity Awareness Week to give obesity a knockout punch. The Leeds based former boxer, who is an ambassador for Yorkshire’s national heart charity, Heart Research UK, is urging people to make small New Year lifestyle pledges that could help save their lives. Today he launched “Silky’s Challenge” to get people to make changes that will see them fitter and healthier through activities like skipping, walking and eating a healthier diet. It ties in with National Obesity Awareness Week which calls on the public to join in with a ‘National New Year’s Resolution’ to tackle obesity by pledging to make a small lifestyle change such as exercising more regularly or cooking from scratch more often. Heart Research UK is a national partner of the campaign, and, through its Healthy Heart Grants, is helping to tackle obesity in the community. Paul launched his challenge today with a “Boxercise” session for the public. He’s now challenging people to take up skipping and do 100 skips a day which he says will lead people to a healthier and active lifestyle. The former boxer, now 48, who won the World Light Middleweight title in 1995, says obesity is becoming a national problem with 67% of men and 57% women in the UK either obese or overweight. “Our lifestyles make it easy for us to put on the pounds and become overweight or even obese by being inactive and eating a poor diet, which puts us at risk of serious illnesses like heart disease,” he said. “Just a few small changes can make a difference and simple activities like doing 100 skips a day or going for a walk can benefit you when linked to healthy eating. “The other key to success is telling your friends and family that you have pledged to live a healthier lifestyle which gives you that commitment to succeed.” Leeds cardiologist, Dr Chris Pepper, a spokesman for Heart Research UK, said: “The current epidemic of obesity is the biggest avoidable health care crisis facing the developed world at the moment. Obesity results in a huge range of health problems including heart attack, heart rhythm problems, cancer, breathing problems, diabetes and joint disease and is placing a massive burden on the health care system and the tax payer. It is all largely preventable through diet, exercise and a modicum of effort.” National Obesity Awareness Week 2015 is intended to raise awareness of obesity and the positive steps the public can take to either prevent or address obesity. It coincides with a new report from the National Obesity Forum which says that tackling obesity must be amongst the priorities of a new government and should be the subject of a cross-party pledge. The report has also raised the possibility of an ‘obesity tsar’ and warned that NHS England plans to address the public health crisis will fail without additional training for GPs and other frontline NHS professionals or increased availability of specialist weight management services. Professor David Haslam, Chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said: “Obesity is one of the great public health issues of our time, and it is important that local communities come together to help each to support their health and wellbeing. That’s why local events and promotions are such an important part of National Obesity Awareness Week. “We want this week to be a landmark in the way the country deals with obesity. There are simple and positive things that we can all do to help ourselves, and we hope the public will be inspired by events like these and will join our National New Year’s Resolution.” Members of the public can enter their New Year’s Resolutions and receive information on healthy eating, nutrition and exercise by visiting the National Obesity Awareness Week 2015 website – www.noaw.org.uk.