Obesity warning to nation (the UK
Friday August 25, 2006 5:58 PM
Millions more adults and children will be obese by 2010 unless dramatic action is taken to halt the trend, figures showed.
A third of adults and a fifth of all children will be obese, leading to greater suffering from cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. More than 12 million adults and one million children are expected to be obese, with millions more overweight.
The Government said it was working to tackle the issue, but the Tories branded Labour's track record "woeful".
The figures, published in the Department of Health's Forecasting Obesity to 2010 report, showed that 22% of girls and 19% of boys aged between two and 15 will be obese by 2010. Those figures are up on the 16% of girls and 17% of boys recorded as obese in 2003.
A third (33%) of all men will be obese - rising from 4.3 million in 2003 to 6.66 million in 2010. And 28% of women will be obese - rising from 4.75 million in 2003 to 5.98 million in 2010.
As a result of the figures, the Government looks set to miss its target to halt the year-on-year rise in obesity among under 11s by 2010.
Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt said the Government was taking action, but urged people to look after themselves.
"We've already stepped in to try and slow this worrying trend, but there's only so much the Government can do.
"People need to want to change their lifestyles and take responsibility for their health - before they face problems in later life such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes or cancer.
"Government and the NHS will support people in leading healthier lives, but ultimately it is each individual's choice that counts."
Obesity in the UK