Date Published: 10 February 2010

Obesity figures rude wake-up call for nation

New statistics published by the NHS Information Service on obesity, physical activity and diet show that the number of people admitted to hospital for obesity rose by nearly 60% between 2007/08 and 2008/09.

Peter Hollins, Chief Executive at the British Heart Foundation said:

” These new figures are a rude wake-up call to each of us to understand the impact of decisions we make today and how they can lead to an unnecessary stay in a hospital bed in the future.

There is no magic bullet to tackling obesity. We need action from government and industry to create an environment which helps and encourages people to live healthier lives. Food manufacturers shouldn’t be making profit at the expense of the nation’s health. One clear step forward would be implementing a single food labelling system to help shoppers understand what’s in the food they’re buying.

Whether it is by eating healthier foods, or being more physically active by walking or cycling to school or work there are simple things that we can all do to help improve our heart health and our lifestyle.”

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