United Kingdom
Obesity
Key points
- 23% of working-age people are now obese. This is similar to five years ago but much higher than a decade ago, when the proportion was 17%.
- There no obvious relationship between obesity and income. The biggest difference is that women from the richest fifth of households are the least likely to be obese.
- There is no obvious relationship between obesity and social class.
- In England, the proportion of working-age people who are obese is lowest in London.
Graph 1: Over time (proportions)
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Graph 2: Over time (numbers)
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Graph 3: By income
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Graph 4: By social class
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Graph 5: By region
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Why this indicator was originally chosen
Obesity is a major risk factor for a range of lethal diseases, including heart disease, non-insulin dependent diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoarthritis For example, see Obesity – a growing concern, NHS Health Development Agency, 2001, and McCormick, J., in 'Welfare in working order', IPPR, 1998, page 177. and, in the case of women, differs substantially by level of household income.
Definitions and data sources
The first graph shows the proportion of people aged 16 to retirement who are obese, with the data shown separately for men and women. Obesity is defined as those with a body mass index greater than 30 kg/m2. Only 'valid body mass index' values have been included (i.e. those where the interviewer was content that both the weight and height measurements were reliable). 'Working-age people' is defined as everyone aged between 16 and 59/64.
The second graph show the same information but in terms of absolute numbers rather than proportions of the population. ONS population estimates have been used to derive the numbers from the proportions.
The third graph shows how the proportions vary by household income, with the data shown separately for men and women. The allocation of households to income quintiles uses gross 'equivalised household income', which means that the household incomes have been adjusted to put them on a like-for-like basis given the size and composition of the households.
The fourth graph shows how the proportions vary between social classes, again with the data shown separately for men and women.
The fifth graph shows the how the proportions vary by region, with the data shown for men and women combined.
The data source for all the graphs is the Health Survey for England (HSE) and relates to England only. To improve statistical reliability, the data in the third to fifth graphs has been averaged over the latest three years. Note that the data from 2003 onwards is weighted, whereas the earlier data is unweighted.
Overall adequacy of the indicator: high. HSE is a large survey which is designed to be representative of the population in England as a whole.
External links
- See the Department of Health's Coronary heart disease national service framework.
- See the National Obesity Forum and Association for the Study of Obesity sites.
Relevant 2007 Public Service Agreements
None directly relevant.
Relevant government policies
The numbers
Graphs 1 and 2
| Year | Percent | Numbers (millions) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Women | Men | Women | |
| 1994 | 13% | 15% | 2.0M | 2.1M |
| 1995 | 15% | 16% | 2.3M | 2.2M |
| 1996 | 16% | 16% | 2.4M | 2.3M |
| 1997 | 17% | 18% | 2.6M | 2.5M |
| 1998 | 17% | 19% | 2.6M | 2.7M |
| 1999 | 18% | 19% | 2.8M | 2.7M |
| 2000 | 20% | 18% | 3.2M | 2.7M |
| 2001 | 20% | 22% | 3.2M | 3.2M |
| 2002 | 22% | 21% | 3.5M | 3.2M |
| 2003 | 22% | 21% | 3.4M | 3.1M |
| 2004 | 21% | 21% | 3.6M | 3.2M |
| 2005 | 22% | 22% | 3.6M | 3.4M |
| 2006 | 23% | 22% | 3.8M | 3.3M |
| 2007 | 23% | 22% | 3.8M | 3.3M |
Graph 3
| Income quintile | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Poorest fifth | 21% | 27% |
| 2nd | 26% | 26% |
| 3rd | 24% | 24% |
| 4th | 24% | 23% |
| richest fifth | 23% | 17% |
Graph 4
| Gender | Social classes I-IIINM | Social classes IIIM-V |
|---|---|---|
| Men | 23% | 25% |
| Women | 21% | 26% |
Graph 5
| Region | Total |
|---|---|
| East | 23% |
| East Midlands | 24% |
| London | 17% |
| North East | 27% |
| North West | 23% |
| South East | 21% |
| South West | 24% |
| West Midlands | 25% |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 24% |