Obesity in the UK has been rising dramatically in recent years, particularly for children growing up in deprivation. It is likely to have to negative long-term consequences for their health and for key social and economic outcomes, as well as raising costs to the NHS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Obesity is usually defined using the \u2018body mass index\u2019 (BMI), which is the ratio of an individual\u2019s weight to height (NHS BMI calculator<\/a>). BMI is a simple summary statistic used by medical professionals as an indicator of whether an individual is overweight and, if so, how overweight they are. Obesity in adults is when BMI is over 30; morbid or severe obesity is when BMI is over 35.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BMI is not a perfect indicator, nor is it the only indicator, that medical professionals care about (see, for example, NHS<\/a> and Harvard Public Health<\/a>); excess fat around the waist is another indicator. But BMI is a relatively easy one to measure and track across time and locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obesity has risen dramatically in the UK and many other countries, with nearly one in every three adults in England being obese, and around one in 25 being morbidly obese \u2013 see Figure 1. The statistics show similar trends in Scotland<\/a>, Wales<\/a> and Northern Ireland<\/a> \u2013 and other parts of the world<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow many people are obese?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Figure 1: Obesity in adults has risen dramatically in England<\/h4>\n\n\n