Fewer people admitted to Wigan hospitals as a result of obesity

But with obesity-related admissions rising by nearly a fifth across the country as a whole, NHS England medical director Professor Stephen Powis said the latest “shocking” figures are a growing sign that an obesity crisis is sweeping the nation.

NHS Digital data reveals that in Wigan there were 9,905 hospital admissions where obesity was a primary or secondary factor in 2019-20.

That was 3,043 in every 100,000 residents – down from the previous year’s figure of 3,318. Three years earlier, the rate was 2,361.

Women accounted for nearly three in five obesity-related hospital cases in Wigan in 2019-20, the figures reveal.

Nationally, there were just over 1 million admissions due to obesity in 2019-20 – up 17% from 2018-19.

There was huge disparity in rates across England, with the most deprived areas worse affected than those with low deprivation levels.

The North West was the third-worst affected of the country’s nine regions, with a rate of 2,065 per 100,000 population.

The East Midlands had the highest rate last year, at 2,592 – nearly double that of the South East, which had the lowest rate of 1,382.

NHS Digital said some of the overall rise may be due to better reporting of data.

Prof Powis said the nation’s “obesity crisis” is putting hundreds of thousands of people at greater risk of becoming severely ill with Covid, as well as heart attacks, stroke, cancer and other deadly diseases.

“Carrying extra pounds not only puts a strain on your physical health, but also on the health service,” he added.

“As lockdown restrictions start to ease, there has never been a better time to take steps to live a healthier lifestyle.”

The Government has announced a raft of new measures to help tackle obesity, including a ban on junk food adverts online and calories on menus for meals.

Diabetes UK, which has campaigned for menu calorie labelling as part of its Food Upfront campaign, welcomed the move.

Helen Kirrane, the charity’s head of policy, campaigns and mobilisation, said: “Obesity is the single greatest risk factor for type 2 diabetes. There are an estimated 13.6 million people at increased risk of developing the condition in the UK.

“We are glad that the Government has committed to making large takeaway, cafe and restaurant chains in England label the food they sell. This will hopefully lead to improved menus and healthier options. We hope it will bring these large businesses more in line with the food retail sector when it comes to giving people clear calorie information for the food they buy.”

Thank you for reading. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers. If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription. Thanks again.