In 2007, during my time as Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government, the Foresight programme, which I oversaw, published a report on obesity. One of the key findings of the report was that individuals had much less choice in the matter of their weight than they would assume, and that the present epidemic of obesity is not really down to laziness or overeating but that our biology has stepped out of kilter with society. As a result, most adults in the UK are already overweight and modern living ensures every generation is heavier than the last.