England’s obesity crisis is laid bare today in thought-provoking interactive graphics that reveal the age group most likely to face health risks from excess fat.
The stark figures show that eight in 10 men in England aged between 55 and 64 are overweight or obese.
By comparison, a third of men aged 16 to 24 fall into the same category, according to the NHS.
Waistlines were also high among women: more than two-thirds (69 percent) of those aged 55 to 64 and 65 to 74 were considered overweight or obese.
Being very overweight or obese is known to increase the risk of suffering from a multitude of diseases, from diabetes to various types of cancer.
The newly published The data, for 2022, covers the period when Britain was mired in a cost of living crisis, which experts have long warned increases the risk of malnutrition due to high food and energy prices.
It also showed that obesity rates among adults have stagnated and have not declined since 2019.
On average, more than a quarter (29 percent) of adults nationwide are obese. This is classified as a person with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30.
Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) are overweight or obese (BMI greater than 25).
More men (67 percent) than women (61 percent) fall into this category.
The data, based on the Health Survey for England, surveyed nearly 8,000 adults aged 16 and over.
Obesity and overweight rates also remained high among men over 30: three-quarters of those aged 35 to 44 were in that category.
In the 45-54 age group, this figure was only two percent lower: 73 percent.
Meanwhile, six out of ten women aged between 35 and 44 were classified as overweight or obese.
Dr Clare Hambling, NHS England’s national clinical director for diabetes and obesity, said: ‘Obesity is one of the biggest threats to health in the UK – it affects every human organ system and can have a major impact on people’s lives.
‘Obesity increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, mental health problems and many other diseases that can shorten life or affect quality of life, with an increased need for medical care.
‘Today’s figures show the importance of supporting people who are overweight or living with obesity to reach a healthier weight.
“The NHS can play its part in this, along with local councils, but we need to work with the rest of society to tackle the issues that contribute to obesity and help people stay as healthy as possible.”
According to the data, more than half (53%) of adults in England also had high cholesterol in 2022, up from 43% in 2019.
Among women, the figure was 56 percent, compared to 49 percent among men.
But this rate rose to more than three-quarters (79 percent) among women aged 55 to 64.
Officials suggested that Restricted access to GPs during the pandemic may have had an impact on the number of people being tested for high cholesterol.
Prescriptions for cholesterol-lowering drugs fell between March 2020 and July 2021, compared with the pre-pandemic period, they added.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in the blood and is necessary for the body to function.
Too much of a certain type of cholesterol can be harmful because it can clog blood vessels and reduce blood flow, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
The average woman needs to eat around 2,000 calories a day to maintain a healthy weight, while the figure is 2,500 for men.
Weight gain occurs when a person, over time, consumes more calories than they burn.
It is well proven that obesity increases the risk of serious health problems that can damage the heart, such as high blood pressure and cancer.
Being overweight is estimated to cause one in 20 cases of cancer in Britain, according to Cancer Research UK.
Britain’s obesity crisis is also estimated to cost the country nearly £100 billion a year.
According to projections from Cancer Research UK, by 2040 more than 42 million adults in the UK will be overweight or obese.
This colossal figure includes damage to NHS health as well as secondary economic effects such as loss of income due to people taking time off work due to illness and premature deaths.
Experts have attributed the country’s steadily increasing waistline to the simultaneous rise in calorie-laden, processed foods and sedentary, desk-bound lifestyles.
The previous government had pledged to help Britons lose weight but backed away from so-called “nanny state”-style initiatives.
In 2020, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a “world-leading” obesity action plan, inspired in part by how his own weight put him at greater risk of becoming seriously ill when he contracted Covid.
However, she later backed away from the radical proposals put forward by Dimbleby, who was asked by the Conservatives to draw up recommendations to improve the country’s diet and combat the promotion of foods high in fat, sugar and salt.
But earlier this month, the government confirmed that a ban on showing junk food adverts on TV before 9pm will come into effect in October 2025.
The Labour Party said the divisive measure on advertising would be implemented alongside a blanket ban on paid online ads, both aimed at tackling childhood obesity.
Health Minister Andrew Gwynne argued the government wanted to “tackle the problem head on” and “without further delay”.