Britain’s obesity crisis is laid bare today in sobering interactive graphs showing which age group is most likely to face health risks from excess fat.
Shocking figures reveal that eight in 10 men in England aged between 55 and 64 are now overweight or obese.
For comparison, according to the NHS, a third of men aged 16 to 24 fall into the same category.
Waist circumference was also high among women, with more than two-thirds (69 percent) of women aged 55 to 64 and 65 to 74 now considered overweight or obese.
It is known that severe overweight or obesity increases the risk of a number of diseases, from diabetes to various forms of cancer.
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The recently published 2022 data covers the period when Britain entered crisis cost of living Experts have long warned that high food and energy prices increase the risk of malnutrition.
It also emerged that the number of cases of obesity among adults has stagnated and has not decreased since 2019.
On average, more than a quarter (29 percent) of adults in the country are obese, classified as having a body mass index (BMI) over 30.
Just under two-thirds (64 percent) are overweight or obese, with a BMI of more than 25.
Men (67 percent) fell into this category more often than women (61 percent).
The data is based on the Health Survey for England and surveyed almost 8,000 adults aged 16 and over.
Among men over 30, obesity and overweight rates also remained high; three-quarters of 35- to 44-year-olds fell into this category.
In the 45 to 54 age group, this was only two percent lower: 73 percent.
Six out of ten women between the ages of 35 and 44 were overweight or obese.
Dr Clare Hambling, national clinical director for diabetes and obesity at NHS England, said: ‘Obesity is one of the biggest health threats 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 illness and many other diseases that can shorten life or affect quality of life, resulting in greater need for health care.
‘Today’s figures show how important it is to support people who are overweight or obese in achieving a healthier weight.
‘The NHS can play a role in this, along with local authorities, but we also need to work with the rest of society to tackle the issues that contribute to obesity so that people can stay as healthy as possible.’
According to the data, more than half (53%) of adults in England also had elevated cholesterol in 2022, up from 43 percent in 2019.
For women this percentage was 56 percent, for men 49 percent.
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However, among women between the ages of 55 and 64, this percentage rose to more than three quarters (79 percent).
Officials suggested that Limited access to primary care physicians during the pandemic may have influenced the number of people tested for elevated cholesterol levels.
According to them, the number of prescriptions for cholesterol-lowering drugs decreased between March 2020 and July 2021 compared to the pre-pandemic period.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in the blood that the body needs to function.
Too much of a certain type of cholesterol can be harmful because it can clog arteries and reduce blood flow, leading to heart attacks and strokes.
On average, women need to eat about 2,000 calories per day to maintain a healthy weight, while for men, the figure is 2,500.
Weight gain occurs when a person consumes more calories than they burn over an extended period of time.
Obesity is known to increase the risk of serious health problems that can damage the heart, such as high blood pressure and cancer.
According to Cancer Research UK, being overweight is the cause of one in 20 cases of cancer in the UK.
The cost of Britain’s obesity crisis is estimated at almost £100 billion a year.
According to projections by Cancer Research UK, more than 42 million adults in the UK will be overweight or obese by 2040
This huge amount includes the health damage to the NHS, but also secondary economic effects such as loss of income as people get sick and die prematurely.
Experts blame the country’s ever-expanding waistlines on a simultaneous increase in processed, high-calorie foods and sedentary, desk-bound lifestyles.
The previous government had promised to help Britons lose weight, but it abandoned what it called ‘nanny-state’ initiatives.
In 2020, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a “world-leading” action plan on obesity, inspired in part by the fact that his own weight put him at greater risk of serious illness when he contracted Covid.
However, he later rejected Mr Dimbleby’s radical proposals, which the Conservatives had asked him to make recommendations to improve the national diet and combat the promotion of foods high in fat, sugar and salt.
Earlier this month, the government confirmed that a ban on junk food advertising on television before 9pm would come into effect from October 2025. The ban would come into effect.
Labour said the reform of advertising laws would be introduced alongside a total ban on paid online advertising, both measures aimed at tackling childhood obesity.
Health Minister Andrew Gwynne said the government wanted to address the problem “directly and without further delay”.