UK obesity burden ‘to climb further by 2030’

The burden placed on the NHS in treating UK obesity cases is likely to grow more pronounced in the next two decades, according to a new study.

A study published in the Lancet ahead of a high-level UN meeting on non-communicable disease in September has revealed that 15 million people are already obese in the UK, a figure expected to rise by a further 11 million by 2030.

This increase would lead to a 25 percent annual rise in health service spending on obesity-related conditions during this period, thus costing the NHS an additional two billion pounds per year.

Dr Mike Knapton, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said this trend will be accompanied by a rise in cases of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

"We need our government to take the lead and make it easier to be healthier, such as by ensuring children are fully protected from junk food marketing on and offline," he added.

This study comes as part of a series of papers on obesity, which also suggested that half of the US population could be obese in 20 years' time.