Topic Report: Obesity

Tackling obesity is one of the greatest long-term challenges this country faces (Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives).

Obesity can result in serious health issues including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnoea, breathing problems and a wide range of cancers, and obesity can impact on mental health.

Severe obesity can reduce an average life expectancy by around 10 years, similar to the impact of lifelong smoking.

Obesity prevalence is highest amongst the most deprived groups in society, with children in the most deprived parts of the country being more than twice as likely to be obese as their peers living in the richest areas.

Children living with obesity are more likely to become adults living with obesity and thus increase the risk of obesity for their own children later in life Childhood obesity: applying All Our Health.

You can find infographics on wider, physiological and psychological impacts published alongside this report on our Joint Strategic Needs Assessments reports page.