Health

Did you think obesity can't get to the poor? Think again

Obesity is increasing the most among England’s poorest, especially women, a recent report by a think tank has said

 
By DTE Staff
Published: Monday 05 July 2021
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Obesity is increasing the most among England’s poorest, especially women, making them susceptible to the diseases that are linked to it, a recent report by a think tank has warned.

The gap between the number of people who are overweight and poor, compared to those who are overweight and well-to-do has increased starkly, the report by King’s Fund has said, The Guardian reported. The King's Fund is an independent think tank. It work on the health system in England.

The story quoted Richard Murray of the King’s Fund:

Obesity is increasingly a disease of the poorest people, and is damaging the life chances of children in the poorest parts of England, and increasingly as they go into adulthood.

Murray added that the failure to grip the growing obesity crisis in poor parts of England would condemn people to a higher chance of diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. “It will inflict an increasing burden on them as individuals and on the National Health Service (NHS),” he added

The King’s Fund cited statistics that are alarming.

For instance, the gap in rates of obesity among women in the most- and least-deprived areas in England grew to 17 per cent in 2020, from 11 per cent in 2014.

Among 10- and 11-year-old children from poor and rich backgrounds, increased to 13per cent in 2019-20, from 8 per cent in 2006-07.

According to the King’s Fund report, most adults in England are overweight or obese. Some 64 per cent of adults in England were overweight in 2019. Another 28 per cent were obese and 3 per cent morbidly obese.

Most of England’s obese people were concentrated in the urban areas of its north, the report said.

The report also predicted that the NHS will have to spend £9.7 billion or $13.42 billion yearly by 2050 on treating complications related to obesity. This will be a sharp rise from £6.1 billion or $8.43 billion the NHS spent on the same in 2014-15

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