Chief scientist details “bleak” findings on obesity

The government’s chief scientist has outlined the findings of a new report into the obesity epidemic in the UK.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Today’ programme, Sir David King, head of the Foresight Programme which drew up the report, described the results as “bleak”.

“Essentially, we are now more than 50 per cent of us, more than half the population are overweight.”

He went on to suggest that extrapolations of the data collected in the study would show that over 50 per cent of the British population would be obese by 2050.

Sir David called for action by individuals, by society and by the government in order to curb the growing obesity figures.

“This is a massive problem because the impact on the economy is going to be enormous, the impact on our personal wellbeing is going to be enormous. Obese people are much more likely to become diabetic or to have heart problems,” he indicated.

The BBC reports that in 40 years time, the cost of obesity could reach nearly ?46 billion, as health services struggle to cope with the health implications such as diabetes, cancer and stroke associated with excess weight.