Stat 1:  Being 10kg overweight cuts three years off your life.  If you are obese, say 20kg overweight, this means you will lose seven years.  Add smoking to the equation and you can kiss goodbye to 14 years.

Stat 2:  An extra 15kg increases your heart rate by 17 beats per minute.  The average resting heart rate is 70 for men and 75 for women.

Stat 3:  A waist measurement of more than 100cm for men and 90cm for women places you in the highest risk category for developing type 2 diabetes.  A weight gain of as little as 5-8kg doubles your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.  Maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active and eating a healthy diet can reduce your chances of developing type 2 diabetes by 60%.

Stat 4:  Obese women have a 115% and obese men 80% greater risk of early death (between 40 and 70 years).

Stat 5:  People with a body mass index of more than 29 have 3-4 times greater risk of developing heart disease.

Stat 6:  Being overweight increases your chances of stroke, osteoarthritis, cancer, sleep apnoea, gall-bladder disease and fatty liver disease.