Record numbers of obese patients put ‘unnecessary strain’ on the NHS
LINK TO CANCER, HEART ATTACKS, DIABETES AND STROKES
OBESITY-RELATED hospital admissions are at a record high in Greater Manchester, putting the NHS under ‘unnecessary strain.’
The figures, which reveal the problem is worsening across the country, come as new research suggests obesity puts you at greater risk from coronavirus.
There were 50,575 admissions to hospitals across Greater Manchester in 2018/19 where obesity was a primary or secondary factor.
Of that number, 169 were having bariatric surgery, which can include stomach stapling, gastric bypasses and sleeve gastrectomy.
The total number of admissions is up 16 per cent from 43,670 admissions the year before, and is the highest figure seen since at least 2013/14 – the earliest year comparable figures are available at a local level.
That year there were just 15,971 admissions to hospitals in our area related to obesity, meaning the number has more than tripled since then.
An NHS spokesman said: “With a 20 per cent increase in hospital admissions nationally over the last five years directly linked to obesity, it is clear that obesity is causing diseases including cancer, heart attacks, stroke and type 2 diabetes, while putting unnecessary strain on NHS services. The NHS is playing its part through our Long Term Plan, but other industries must also step up and prevent the harm obesity is causing, particularly to young people.”
As well as increasing the risk of the diseases listed here, early research suggests being obese may also make people more vulnerable to catching Covid-19, and at risk of becoming more ill if they do.
Studies have shown that people who are obese – those with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 30 – are disproportionately represented in patients critically ill with coronavirus in UK intensive care units.
They are also at greater risk of dying from the virus, even when other health conditions linked to obesity were taken into account.
An enzyme called ACE2, present in cells and thought to be found in high levels in fatty tissue in particular, has been discovered as the main way for the virus to enter the body. Meanwhile, the immune response is not as good in people who are obese, due to inflammation driven by immune cells called macrophages that invade our fat tissue, interfering with how our cells respond to infection. The figures show that people in Wigan were some of the most likely in the country to be hospitalised because of an obesityrelated condition last year. There were 10,665 obesityrelated admissions to hospitals in the area in 2018/19 – again the highest on record, and working out as 33 for every 1,000 people living there. That’s twice as high as the national average, which saw 16 hospitalisations for every 1,000 people in England.
The rate is also higher than average in Salford (29 admissions for every 1,000 people), Stockport (26), Manchester (21) and Trafford (19). Women made up nearly two-thirds of all admissions across Greater Manchester, with 31,370 admissions for women and 19,200 for men.