Despite media claims of spiralling obesity, heart health is actually improving, reports Rhona Auckland.

According to a recent report in The Independent the number of deaths related to heart attacks in the Western world has halved since 2002. This is somewhat surprising considering that the news is constantly full of reminders that we are in the midst of an obesity epidemic. The key to good heart health is commonly believed to be a lifestyle free from cigarettes, alcohol and fatty foods – not exactly congruous with the type of existence which the modern public has been accustomed to.

So would it be fair to assume that the obesity message is getting through to us? Researchers at Oxford University certainly think so. Yet statistics show that the average percentage of fat in our diets has only decreased by 2% in the last 30 years, and although fat is ‘healthier’ than it was, as more saturates are removed, the statistics don’t match up. But then comes the news that there is little scientific evidence to support the theory that increased fat levels directly cause heart attacks. Even the World Health Organisation, (the coordinating health committee of the United Nations), was unable to form any substantial links in an extensive study into the relationships between levels of body fat and heart attacks.

This perhaps provides answers to the puzzle of why the French, on a diet high in the saturated fats gained from dairy and meat produce, still manage to maintain healthier hearts than the average Brit. But if fat wasn’t the trigger for our high heart attack levels, what was? Some scientists claim that living life with the motto ‘take everything in moderation’ may be the answer, suggesting that overeating was what endangered heart health. Yet with close to a quarter of British adults deemed clinically obese, where has this decline in the number of heart attacks we suffer from come from? Who or what can we credit for this promising breakthrough?

Essentially it’s down to science. We live in a pill popping world, (I am not referring to the recreational type), where practically every health worry can be set at ease by swallowing a magic capsule. Drugs designed to lower blood pressure and cholesterol have had an impressive impact on our health, and are a key factor in decreasing heart attack levels. But it is not just the scientists who can get a pat on the back; the researchers at Oxford have credited a large proportion of the success to the average Joe Bloggs. So yes, essentially health messages are getting through. Our lifestyles are improving, and although the obesity epidemic is far from beaten, we can take heart from the fact that scientists are on the hunt to find success in our efforts, to bolster our fight.