‘5m British teens obese by 2035’

Almost five million teenagers and adults across England, Scotland and Wales will be morbidly obese by 2035, according to new analysis.

The number of those aged 15 and older with a Body Mass Index (BMI) above 40 will more than double within 20 years, the projections show.

If current trends continue, there will be 4.99 million morbidly obese people in the three countries by 2035, up from 1.9 million in 2015, the researchers said.

More than one in 10 are predicted to be morbidly obese in Wales, while the highest levels will be seen among English men aged 55 to 64 years old.

The research, by the UK Heart Forum and Institute of Technology in Sligo, Ireland, will be presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Vienna, Austria.