Five million teenagers ‘obese by year 2035’

ALMOST FIVE million teenagers and adults across England, Scotland and Wales will be morbidly obese by 2035, according to a 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.

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, Sligo, in Ireland, has been presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Vienna, Austria.

The authors said: “Our study reveals a worrying picture of rising morbid obesity across England, Wales and Scotland that is likely to weigh heavily on healthcare systems and economies.

“Strong measures to reverse this future trend must be an important public health priority.”

In 2015, four per cent of adults in Scotland, three per cent in England and three per cent in Wales were classed as morbidly obese.

This will rise to five per cent in Scotland, eight per cent in England and 11 per cent in Wales by 2035, according to the analysis.

In England alone, it means 4,382,906 people are predicted to be morbidly obese, including 16 per cent of men aged 55 to 64.

In Wales, 340,899 people are predicted to fall into this category, along with 268,650 in Scotland.

However, almost no 15-to-24year-old males in Scotland are expected to fall within this category, compared to six per cent of the same group in England, the data shows.