Charity Warns of 170,000 Preventable Deaths
About 170,000 people in England are expected to die from heart-related conditions linked to obesity by 2035, according to a leading charity. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) analysis found that approximately 45 people per day could die from cardiovascular disease associated with excess weight and obesity over the next decade if current trends continue.
In the UK, around two in three adults are overweight or living with obesity. Globally, more than half of adults and a third of children and young people are projected to be overweight or obese by 2050, based on data from the Global Burden of Disease study.
Current Death Rates and Regional Disparities
The BHF analysis indicated that in 2023, there were 16,156 cardiovascular disease deaths attributable to high BMI in England, at a rate of 28 deaths per 100,000 people. Obesity is a major risk factor for heart and circulatory diseases, as excess weight can lead to fatty buildup in arteries, restricting blood flow and increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Regional obesity rates vary significantly. The north-east of England has the highest percentage of obese adults at 36%, followed by the West Midlands at 34%. London has the lowest obesity rate, at just over 21%.
Charity Calls for Urgent Government Action
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the BHF, warned that the UK is at risk “of sleepwalking further into an obesity epidemic which will have dire consequences for decades to come.” She stated: “These deaths are not inevitable. Bold action now by the UK government could mean preventing more lives being cut short by obesity.”
Griffiths added: “The government has promised a ‘healthy food revolution’, but it’s yet to materialise. Pledges must become policy sooner rather than later if we’re to stop heart attacks and strokes robbing thousands of the chance to live a long, healthy life.”
Industry and Government Responses
Katharine Jenner, executive director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said: “We cannot accept a future where tens of thousands more lives are cut short, unnecessarily, by diet-related disease. Strong targets for businesses to improve the healthiness of the food they sell would help shift the balance towards healthier products.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson responded: “Cardiovascular disease remains one of the country’s biggest killers, and we know obesity has a major part to play. That’s why we are tackling obesity by rolling out weight loss drugs to more patients, requiring large businesses to report on the healthiness of their food, and setting new targets to improve the healthiness of products sold.”
