The obesity epidemic is piling huge pressure on the NHS, with more than 10,000 hospital admissions last year caused by people being seriously overweight.
The number admitted in England has jumped by almost a fifth in just two years, according to shocking new figures.
About two-thirds of those are for fat-reduction operations such as the fitting of gastric bands, which cost taxpayers about £5,000 a time.
Studies show that a quarter of the adult population is obese, making Britain one of the fattest nations in Europe
Last night Liberal Democrat Health spokesman Norman Lamb said the figures from NHS Digital showed the obesity problem was getting out of control. He said: ‘These dramatic rises are unsustainable and the health consequences for our country are hard to imagine. We have an obesity epidemic which is not being tackled.’
Studies show that a quarter of the adult population is obese, making Britain one of the fattest nations in Europe. And 39 per cent of those aged 16 to 24 are overweight or obese – up from 27 per cent 15 years ago.
The figures were revealed by Health Minister Steve Brine in response to a parliamentary question put by Mr Lamb. They were for admissions where the ‘primary diagnosis’ was obesity.
They also showed that more than twice as many women as men end up in hospital for obesity, even though similar numbers of both sexes are overweight.
Experts believe this is because weight-loss surgery is more popular among women.
Worryingly, the number of children and teenagers taken to hospital for obesity-related problems also appears to be growing – up from 676 admissions in 2014-15 to 905 in 2016-17. Despite the cost, many doctors favour surgery for people who are seriously obese, arguing that it improves patients’ health and saves the NHS money in the long run.
At a store in East Molesey, Surrey, a poster proclaiming the virtues of its Eat Happy Project was partly obscured – by rows of Easter eggs
A 2015 study of 4,000 patients who had undergone weight-loss surgery found it slashed rates of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
One reason for the apparent rise in so-called bariatric surgery is that qualifying criteria were loosened in 2014 to enable diabetic patients with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 30 to benefit.
Previously, only those with a BMI of more than 40 were eligible.
Meanwhile, Tesco’s anti-obesity drive appears to have fallen victim to more commercial considerations. At a store in East Molesey, Surrey, a poster proclaiming the virtues of its Eat Happy Project was partly obscured – by rows of Easter eggs.
Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, said: ‘If the company was really interested in children having a healthy relationship with food, they shouldn’t be trying to stuff Wispas down their throats.’
A Tesco spokeswoman said the picture did not represent the firm’s approach to healthier eating.
She added: ‘We were proud to be the first retailer to remove sweets from checkouts.
‘We offer healthy products all year round and have cut the price of fresh fruit and vegetables, and reduced sugar, salt and fat in thousands of products.’