Shropshire area named among country's worst for obesity with one in three adults affected
Obesity has surged in adults in Telford and Wrekin according to figures which show it is one of the worst in the country.
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According to data from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), more than a third of adults in Telford and Wrekin are estimated to be living with obesity.
The authority is 11th worst in a list of all local authority areas across England - out of around 300.
The figures show 36.3 per cent of adults in the area were estimated to be living with obesity in 2023/24 - compared to 28.4 per cent in 2022/23.
Shropshire is 127th in the list with 28.6 per cent of adults considered to be living with obesity.
Telford & Wrekin Council responded to the figures by saying it is taking clear action to help address the issues.
It said: "Supporting people to be a healthy weight and tackling the above average levels of obesity across Telford and Wrekin is being addressed through our five-year Healthy Weight Strategy launched last year.
"The plan was developed following comprehensive engagement and feedback from the public and professionals and outlines how the council and key partners such as the ICB, local doctors surgeries and schools are working together to take action and provide support.
"Programmes of work include healthy eating, physical exercise to help all residents and specifically to target children to support them to grow in to a healthy weight.
"Whilst we recognise the above average levels and are taking clear action, it should be noted that the data collection in this latest report is taken from Active Lives Survey results which included 387 residents from Telford and Wrekin."
Meanwhile NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin said it was working closely with the county's local authorities on efforts to tackle weight issues, and is commissioning a new service to treat type 2 diabetes.
A spokesman said: "As part of the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin health and care system, we work closely with our local authorities in the county and both have in place weight management strategies that set out our system’s joined-up approach, commitment, and priorities to improving healthy weight outcomes for our residents.
"We are also about to commission a GLP-1 medication service for treating type 2 diabetes in line with NICE recommendations and we have plans to review outcomes and redesign this for weight management services aligned to our diabetes project.
"Public health data and wider health inequalities will be taken into account as we develop and roll out these services.”
In total there are 44 local authorities in England where at least 33.3 per cent of adults were likely to be obese in 2023/24.
The estimates have been published by the OHID, using data from the Sport England Active Lives Adult Survey.
They suggest that West Lindsey in Lincolnshire had the highest proportion of people aged 18 and over living with obesity in the year to March 2024, at 38.8 per cent, followed by Hartlepool with 37.9 per cent, and Bolsover in Derbyshire with 37.9 per cent.
The entire top 10 are located either in the Midlands, Yorkshire or the North East.
Of the 44 local authorities with at least a third of adults classed as obese in the latest year, only five are in southern England.
By contrast, nine of the 10 areas with the lowest obesity estimates are in southern England, with the three lowest areas all in London: Islington - 13 per cent, Hammersmith & Fulham - 12.1 per cent, and Camden - 11 per cent.
A total of 296 non-overlapping local authorities in England are included in the survey, meaning around one in seven were estimated to have at least a third of adults living with obesity in 2023/24.
The number of authorities with a third or more adults classed as obese has climbed steadily in recent years, from just 13 - around one in 23, in 2018/19, to 44 in 2023/24.
Responding to the figures, NHS England national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said: “Obesity remains one of the biggest public health issues we face as a society, and these figures show a small but concerning rise in the number of overweight and obese people.
“It is crucial we reverse decades of rising obesity rates and the associated cost to the health service, and those who needs support can access help through the NHS weight management programme via their GP.”
There is a 27.8 percentage point gap between the areas with the highest (38.8 per cent) and lowest (11 per cent) obesity levels in the year to March 2024.
The prevalence of obesity is highest among those living in the most deprived areas of England, at 37.4 per cent of adults in 2023/24, and lowest in those living in the least deprived areas, 19.8 per cent.
Obesity levels are estimated to be higher among adults identifying as black - 33.1 per cent, than those in other ethnic groups, including white British - 27.8 per cent, mixed - 23 per cent, and Asian - 20.6 per cent.
Some 231 of the 296 non-overlapping local authorities in England saw an increase in estimated obesity between 2018/19 and 2023/24, while 65 saw a fall.
There were 163 authorities that recorded a year-on-year rise between 2022/23 and 2023/24, with 132 seeing a drop and one recording no change.
