Refugee – Taking up boxing at centre supported by Sport England ‘saved my life'
A refugee has said that taking up boxing at a centre which is supported by Sport England 'saved' her life.
Dr Zin Myint said she was in a 'bad place' after arriving in the UK three months ago having fled Myanmar in South East Asia because of a thesis she wrote on the Rohingya conflict.
She began boxing at St Augustine's Centre in Halifax, West Yorkshire.
Dr Myint told the PA news agency: 'I have a lot of mental issues and I've been going to the boxing gyms every week, which is very helpful.
'The centre means the world to me.
'It saved my life as when I came here three months ago, I was in a bad place.'
Meanwhile, Kelly Lees, a recovered drug addict who attends the Basement Recovery Project in Calderdale, said the centre has helped her regain her confidence and self-worth.
She said: 'I heard of the Basement Recovery Project from a few of my friends that I actually used with years ago.
'I started off volunteering and now I work here.'
Ms Lees added: 'Physical activity has helped with my mental health.
'It's helped my confidence, my self-esteem and my worth.'
Local impact reports indicate that in Calderdale inactivity has reduced by 7% among children and young people and 4% among adults.
It comes as Sport England announced plans to invest in activity levels in more than 50 new places currently struggling to provide it, including major cities such as Liverpool, Nottingham and Southampton.
New research found that more than a third of adults living in the country's most deprived areas are not getting enough physical activity.
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Telegraph
19-05-2025
- Telegraph
Women's health is under attack – protecting it is the smart investment for everyone
As conflict, disaster and displacement rise globally and aid budgets shrink, one truth is becoming harder to ignore. Women and girls are losing access to basic health services, putting their lives at risk. And the starker reality is that the long-term impacts will be felt far beyond national borders. Earlier this year, the United States withdrew over US$330 million in funding from UNFPA, the UN's sexual and reproductive health agency. A third of that cut directly affects countries in Asia and the Pacific, home to over 60 per cent of the global population and some of the world's most fragile humanitarian settings. What impact is this having? In Afghanistan, 6.3 million people will lose access to essential health care, most of them women and girls, including lifesaving maternal health services. Hundreds of health centres operating in remote areas and mobile clinics are being forced to close. In Bangladesh, 600,000 people, including Rohingya refugees, will be cut off from safe childbirth, contraception and care for survivors of rape. Health workers are being laid off. Supplies are running out. Lives are at stake. This is not just a funding gap. It is a collapse of global solidarity, and it is already reversing decades of progress on women's health and rights. The consequences will include rising maternal deaths, violence and growing instability in already fragile regions. This is the most serious funding crisis the international development system has ever faced. Earlier this month, I met a young mother in Bamyan, Afghanistan, who had walked for hours in labour to reach a small rural clinic. One of the few still operational with UNFPA support. There was no ambulance, no doctor. The sole midwife operating the clinic told me, 'If I had left, a mother or baby would have died.' This is what's at risk when global funding disappears. Not just services but survival itself – particularly of the poorest and most vulnerable. UNFPA provides a lifeline to women and girls. We train and pay the salaries of midwives in some of the most challenging places on earth. We supply life-saving medical kits, contraceptives and clinical equipment to overstretched hospitals and the hard-to-reach communities. These tools make survival possible. Today, those shipments and services are being halted. Without supplies, health workers and midwives cannot save lives. Without funding, UNFPA cannot stay and deliver. We are well past the point of this simply being charity. It is common sense. When women and girls can access healthcare, they are more likely to finish school, join the workforce and raise healthier families. Without these services, poverty deepens, gender inequality widens and health systems buckle under the strain. There is also a strong economic case. Every £1 invested in family planning delivers more than £6 in returns, by reducing health costs, preventing unintended pregnancies, and boosting women's participation in the workforce. This aligns with one of the UK's key development priorities – to boost economic growth. Partnership, not pity The UK has long been a global leader in health and development. Now, in the wake of the US withdrawal, that leadership is more critical than ever. As UNFPA's second-largest donor and a key supporter of our Supplies Partnership – which delivers modern contraceptives and maternal health supplies to the world's most underserved women and girls – the UK has helped prevent 89 million unintended pregnancies and 1.6 million child deaths since 2008. In 2024 alone, UK funding in Asia and the Pacific reached over two million women and girls, averting nearly 18,000 maternal deaths. For this, we are eternally grateful. As defence spending grows, we should not necessarily consider that security and international aid are competing priorities. They are interconnected. Strengthening health systems is not just the right thing to do – it reduces the risk of future instability, forced migration and protracted humanitarian crises. History has taught us this lesson. Protecting progress on women's health and rights, built over decades, is a smart investment. For global development, for long-term stability and for the UK's role in the world. From conflict zones in Afghanistan to refugee camps in Bangladesh and displaced communities in Myanmar, the people we serve are not asking for pity. They are asking for partnership and the chance to live healthy, dignified lives. This is not only about UNFPA. It is about the UK's role in shaping a changing world, where global cooperation is under pressure but also where smart investments in health and stability still offer the best return. When women and girls thrive, families are healthier, communities are stronger and the world is safer – for us all. So let's defend that midwife. Let's defend the rights of all our youth. Let's defend the promise of hope.
The Independent
07-05-2025
- The Independent
Proportion of adults living with obesity in England, by local area
Here is a full list of the proportion of adults in England estimated to be living with obesity in 2023/24, broken down by local authority area. The figures have been published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities using data from the Sport England Active Lives Adult Survey. The list covers all upper-tier and lower-tier local authorities in England, including both district and county councils. It reads, from left to right: name of local authority; region; proportion of adults estimated to be living with obesity in 2023/24; the equivalent proportion (in brackets) in 2022/23 and in 2018/19. West Lindsey (E Midlands): 38.8% (2022/23 26.3%, 2018/19 25.6%) Hartlepool (NE England): 37.9% (33.8%, 35.6%)Bolsover (E Midlands): 37.9% (35.0%, 38.6%)Cannock Chase (W Midlands): 37.8% (38.4%, 28.4%)Doncaster (Yorkshire/Humber): 37.5% (29.7%, 30.2%)Tamworth (W Midlands): 37.4% (35.9%, 30.3%)Gateshead (NE England): 37.2% (35.8%, 28.4%)Hull (Yorkshire/Humber): 36.8% (36.5%, 30.9%)Amber Valley (E Midlands): 36.6% (29.1%, 27.4%)Stockton-on-Tees (NE England): 36.4% (34.1%, 31.9%)Telford & Wrekin (W Midlands): 36.3% (28.4%, 34.4%)Walsall (W Midlands): 36.2% (29.0%, 28.0%)Halton (NW England): 36.0% (34.5%, 29.5%) Rotherham (Yorkshire/Humber): 36.0% (37.8%, 36.8%)Newark & Sherwood (E Midlands): 35.9% (29.0%, 33.1%)East Lindsey (E Midlands): 35.9% (35.6%, 26.1%)North Warwickshire (W Midlands): 35.8% (33.4%, 26.3%)South Holland (E Midlands): 35.6% (35.6%, 31.0%)Tendring (E England): 35.6% (28.1%, 26.4%)Ashfield (E Midlands): 35.4% (36.1%, 26.9%)Middlesbrough (NE England): 35.3% (34.7%, 33.3%)Wakefield (Yorkshire/Humber): 35.1% (31.0%, 23.9%)North Lincolnshire (Yorkshire/Humber): 35.1% (35.8%, 28.8%)Fenland (E England): 34.9% (36.6%, 36.0%)Barnsley (Yorkshire/Humber): 34.9% (28.8%, 27.8%)Wyre Forest (W Midlands): 34.8% (30.7%, 23.9%)Burnley (NW England): 34.7% (30.5%, 30.2%)Stoke-on-Trent (W Midlands): 34.7% (38.7%, 29.6%)Gosport (SE England): 34.7% (33.1%, 36.6%)Thurrock (E England): 34.6% (26.3%, 35.8%)King's Lynn & West Norfolk (E England): 34.6% (28.6%, 26.3%)Tameside (NW England): 34.5% (34.6%, 26.9%)Durham (NE England): 34.4% (34.0%, 29.5%)Breckland (E England): 34.4% (25.0%, 29.7%)North West Leicestershire (E Midlands): 34.2% (28.4%, 29.9%)Great Yarmouth (E England): 34.1% (39.1%, 29.3%)St Helens (NW England): 34.0% (34.4%, 28.0%)Redditch (W Midlands): 33.7% (32.0%, 25.9%)Swindon (SW England): 33.7% (30.1%, 27.2%)Havant (SE England): 33.6% (30.1%, 28.1%)Crawley (SE England): 33.5% (22.9%, 26.8%)Colchester (E England): 33.5% (31.9%, 19.7%)Medway (SE England): 33.3% (30.2%, 31.2%)Darlington (NE England): 33.3% (30.5%, 21.5%)Blackpool (NW England): 33.2% (33.2%, 28.2%)Derby (E Midlands): 33.0% (34.6%, 26.5%)Mansfield (E Midlands): 33.0% (27.4%, 24.8%)Redcar & Cleveland (NE England): 33.0% (31.2%, 32.2%)Southend-on-Sea (E England): 32.9% (31.4%, 20.0%)Knowsley (NW England): 32.9% (35.6%, 30.7%)Sunderland (NE England): 32.8% (30.4%, 29.0%)Chesterfield (E Midlands): 32.8% (38.1%, 33.6%)North Kesteven (E Midlands): 32.6% (25.1%, 22.9%)Pendle (NW England): 32.6% (30.6%, 20.2%)Plymouth (SW England): 32.6% (26.0%, 26.5%)Oldham (NW England): 32.4% (32.7%, 26.9%)Broxbourne (E England): 32.3% (25.6%, 23.2%)Rochford (E England): 32.3% (24.5%, 22.2%)Harlow (E England): 32.3% (31.2%, 28.5%)North East Derbyshire (E Midlands): 32.3% (33.4%, 24.2%)Peterborough (E England): 32.2% (26.5%, 30.5%)West Devon (SW England): 32.1% (23.8%, 19.8%)Stevenage (E England): 32.0% (32.4%, 28.7%)Maldon (E England): 32.0% (33.7%, 27.8%)Dover (SE England): 32.0% (32.6%, 30.0%)Sandwell (W Midlands): 31.9% (35.1%, 35.0%)Lincolnshire (E Midlands): 31.9% (29.4%, 27.3%)Rugby (W Midlands): 31.9% (29.0%, 29.1%)Boston (E Midlands): 31.9% (32.3%, 28.0%)New Forest (SE England): 31.8% (25.0%, 21.4%)Fylde (NW England): 31.8% (27.6%, 24.3%)North East Lincolnshire (Yorkshire/Humber): 31.8% (30.0%, 28.9%)Wirral (NW England): 31.6% (35.7%, 24.6%)Rossendale (NW England): 31.6% (26.0%, 27.5%)Portsmouth (SE England): 31.4% (30.8%, 30.0%)Rochdale (NW England): 31.3% (34.9%, 27.3%)Gloucester (SW England): 31.3% (27.9%, 24.2%)Bradford (Yorkshire/Humber): 31.2% (32.9%, 26.5%)Wolverhampton (W Midlands): 31.1% (33.0%, 26.5%)Castle Point (E England): 31.1% (29.7%, 26.3%)South Tyneside (NE England): 31.1% (38.8%, 29.4%)Barking & Dagenham (London): 31.0% (30.5%, 33.3%)Dudley (W Midlands): 31.0% (32.2%, 27.4%)North Northamptonshire (E Midlands): 30.9% (29.2%, 25.4%)Cumberland (NW England): 30.9% (26.6%, 25.5%)Bolton (NW England): 30.9% (28.1%, 28.7%)Blackburn with Darwen (NW England): 30.8% (31.0%, 24.4%)High Peak (E Midlands): 30.8% (21.2%, 18.6%)East Suffolk (E England): 30.8% (27.2%, 26.2%)Derbyshire (E Midlands): 30.8% (30.1%, 27.0%)Gedling (E Midlands): 30.7% (29.1%, 24.5%)Northumberland (NE England): 30.7% (28.8%, 25.9%)Slough (SE England): 30.7% (26.2%, 24.0%)Isles of Scilly (SW England): 30.6% (14.0%, 25.1%)Luton (E England): 30.5% (23.2%, 30.4%)Wokingham (SE England): 30.5% (19.0%, 19.4%)Basildon (E England): 30.4% (34.4%, 28.7%)Havering (London): 30.4% (25.7%, 19.7%)East Riding of Yorkshire (Yorkshire/Humber): 30.1% (27.7%, 22.4%)Test Valley (SE England): 30.1% (20.9%, 19.1%)Newcastle-under-Lyme (W Midlands): 30.1% (32.9%, 22.0%)Liverpool (NW England): 30.1% (29.8%, 28.6%)Wigan (NW England): 30.0% (39.1%, 31.3%)Chichester (SE England): 30.0% (24.7%, 18.3%)Hyndburn (NW England): 30.0% (34.4%, 33.4%)Bracknell Forest (SE England): 30.0% (27.3%, 18.7%)Isle of Wight (SE England): 29.9% (21.9%, 24.9%)Nottinghamshire (E Midlands): 29.9% (27.9%, 26.6%)Mid Suffolk (E England): 29.8% (32.4%, 20.4%)Preston (NW England): 29.8% (24.5%, 22.7%)South Derbyshire (E Midlands): 29.6% (27.8%, 25.5%)Warrington (NW England): 29.6% (25.2%, 21.8%)Central Bedfordshire (E England): 29.5% (24.7%, 22.4%)Norfolk (E England): 29.4% (27.4%, 24.7%)Worcestershire (W Midlands): 29.4% (27.7%, 22.4%)Birmingham (W Midlands): 29.3% (25.9%, 26.1%)Staffordshire (W Midlands): 29.2% (29.0%, 25.1%)Arun (SE England): 29.0% (29.6%, 24.1%)East Staffordshire (W Midlands): 29.0% (27.7%, 29.5%)Bromsgrove (W Midlands): 29.0% (23.6%, 20.7%)Hastings (SE England): 28.9% (31.2%, 22.6%)Bassetlaw (E Midlands): 28.9% (28.5%, 33.9%)Wychavon (W Midlands): 28.8% (24.7%, 22.0%)Erewash (E Midlands): 28.8% (30.0%, 25.9%)Milton Keynes (SE England): 28.7% (25.9% 24.8%)Eastleigh (SE England): 28.7% (28.0%, 21.4%)Shropshire (W Midlands): 28.6% (28.6%, 26.5%)Tonbridge & Malling (SE England): 28.6% (22.2%, 23.1%)Tewkesbury (SW England): 28.6% (28.5%, 22.8%)Suffolk (E England): 28.5% (26.8%, 26.2%)Lancashire (NW England): 28.5% (28.0%, 25.5%)Essex (E England): 28.5% (29.1%, 23.5%)South Ribble (NW England): 28.5% (25.9%, 21.1%)Sheffield (Yorkshire/Humber): 28.3% (24.5%, 22.9%)Wyre (NW England): 28.3% (29.5%, 30.1%)Newcastle-upon-Tyne (NE England): 28.2% (29.9%, 23.6%)Babergh (E England): 28.2% (21.8%, 27.3%)Cheshire West & Chester (NW England): 28.2% (30.2%, 21.8%) North Yorkshire (Yorkshire/Humber): 28.0% (25.3%, 24.7%)Lincoln (E Midlands): 28.0% (27.4%, 28.6%)Hinckley & Bosworth (E Midlands): 27.9% (32.9%, 23.1%)Staffordshire Moorlands (W Midlands): 27.6% (28.9%, 22.6%)West Suffolk (E England): 27.6% (27.7%, 27.3%)Salford (NW England): 27.6% (28.6%, 25.6%)North Norfolk (E England): 27.5% (29.7%, 20.6%)Dartford (SE England): 27.5% (29.2%, 26.1%)Melton (E Midlands): 27.4% (34.2%, 20.4%)Nottingham (E Midlands): 27.4% (28.0%, 25.2%)Leicestershire (E Midlands): 27.3% (26.2%, 24.3%)Kirklees (Yorkshire/Humber): 27.3% (26.9%, 27.5%)Brentwood (E England): 27.3% (20.5%, 19.2%)Watford (E England): 27.3% (20.8%, 21.4%)Leeds (Yorkshire/Humber): 27.2% (26.2%, 23.2%)Coventry (W Midlands): 27.1% (27.7%, 31.4%)Chorley (NW England): 27.1% (27.0%, 24.8%)Hampshire (SE England): 27.0% (24.7%, 23.0%)Wiltshire (SW England): 27.0% (26.7%, 20.2%)Norwich (E England): 26.9% (23.2%, 21.0%)Calderdale (Yorkshire/Humber): 26.9% (28.2%, 25.4%)Ipswich (E England): 26.8% (25.3%, 28.1%)West Sussex (SE England): 26.8% (23.9%, 22.0%)Herefordshire (W Midlands): 26.8% (26.1%, 26.2%)Nuneaton & Bedworth (W Midlands): 26.6% (34.3%, 28.3%)Sefton (NW England): 26.6% (35.3%, 26.1%)Worcester (W Midlands): 26.6% (26.2%, 26.1%)Gravesham (SE England): 26.6% (35.6%, 29.8%)Leicester (E Midlands): 26.6% (24.9%, 21.2%)Cherwell (SE England): 26.4% (23.4%, 20.1%)Epping Forest (E England): 26.4% (25.7%, 21.6%)Welwyn Hatfield (E England): 26.4% (26.4%, 26.9%)Warwickshire (W Midlands): 26.3% (26.4%, 24.5%)Sutton (London): 26.3% (21.1%, 20.6%)Blaby (E Midlands): 26.2% (25.6%, 23.7%)Lancaster (NW England): 26.2% (25.8%, 27.2%)Bedford (E England): 26.2% (22.3%, 28.6%)Thanet (SE England): 26.2% (28.8%, 28.1%)Stafford (W Midlands): 26.1% (25.9%, 20.9%)Braintree (E England): 26.1% (28.4%, 24.5%)South Staffordshire (W Midlands): 26.1% (25.7%, 26.4%)Stockport (NW England): 26.0% (25.3%, 19.1%)Oadby & Wigston (E Midlands): 26.0% (23.8%, 20.1%)Maidstone (SE England): 26.0% (32.7%, 19.2%)Bury (NW England): 25.9% (30.0%, 24.9%)Reading (SE England): 25.9% (28.2%, 18.5%)Forest of Dean (SW England): 25.9% (34.3%, 22.3%)Torbay (SW England): 25.9% (32.6%, 24.4%)Huntingdonshire (E England): 25.9% (26.3%, 20.3%)North Hertfordshire (E England): 25.8% (19.5%, 17.3%)Malvern Hills (W Midlands): 25.8% (26.4%, 16.2%)Somerset (SW England): 25.8% (27.8%, 23.9%)South Norfolk (E England): 25.8% (22.0%, 22.4%)South Gloucestershire (SW England): 25.7% (23.1%, 23.1%)Hart (SE England): 25.7% (20.0%, 17.5%)Kent (SE England): 25.6% (27.8%, 24.5%)North Tyneside (NE England): 25.6% (29.8%, 30.7%)Ashford (SE England): 25.6% (27.4%, 24.8%)Solihull (W Midlands): 25.5% (22.9%, 20.2%)Rushmoor (SE England): 25.5% (30.2%, 26.8%)Cheshire East (NW England): 25.5% (21.5%, 24.8%)East Devon (SW England): 25.5% (28.9%, 15.4%)Lewes (SE England): 25.4% (24.5%, 24.6%)Charnwood (E Midlands): 25.3% (20.2%, 23.9%)York (Yorkshire/Humber): 25.2% (23.5%, 22.7%)Bexley (London): 25.2% (24.2%, 27.4%)South Kesteven (E Midlands): 25.1% (26.3%, 28.8%)Teignbridge (SW England): 25.0% (22.2%, 20.1%)Mid Devon (SW England): 24.9% (27.2%, 26.3%)Southampton (SE England): 24.9% (29.5%, 23.1%)Gloucestershire (SW England): 24.9% (25.9%, 21.5%)Dacorum (E England): 24.8% (22.9%, 20.3%)East Cambridgeshire (E England): 24.8% (26.8%, 22.9%)East Sussex (SE England): 24.8% (25.3%, 23.8%)Enfield (London): 24.8% (24.0%, 27.8%)Harborough (E Midlands): 24.7% (26.3%, 24.3%)Torridge (SW England): 24.6% (23.6%, 22.0%)West Northamptonshire (E Midlands): 24.6% (27.0%, 24.4%)Broadland (E England): 24.6% (31.2%, 20.6%)Runnymede (SE England): 24.6% (23.0%, 16.9%)Waltham Forest (London): 24.5% (22.4%, 21.0%)Hertfordshire (SE England): 24.5% (22.7%, 22.1%)Croydon (London): 24.4% (24.1%, 20.1%)Dorset (SW England): 24.3% (28.9%, 20.6%)Cambridgeshire (E England): 24.3% (23.9%, 22.0%)Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (SW England): 24.3% (26.8%, 23.3%)Rushcliffe (E Midlands): 24.2% (19.8%, 17.9%)Horsham (SE England): 24.2% (22.7%, 20.4%)East Hampshire (SE England): 24.1% (17.7%, 17.6%)Sevenoaks (SE England): 24.0% (23.5%, 18.2%)Cornwall (SW England): 24.0% (27.5%, 21.0%)Broxtowe (E Midlands): 23.9% (27.1%, 24.0%)Fareham (SE England): 23.9% (23.7%, 23.2%)Folkestone & Hythe (SE England): 23.8% (24.0%, 23.6%)Lichfield (W Midlands): 23.8% (18.2%, 26.9%)Mid Sussex (SE England): 23.6% (16.1%, 19.8%)Manchester (NW England): 23.5% (27.3%, 24.0%)Swale (SE England): 23.5% (39.1%, 30.8%)Devon (SW England): 23.3% (24.3%, 19.7%)Rother (SE England): 23.3% (23.1%, 28.2%)Greenwich (London): 22.9% (23.2%, 23.8%)Hackney (London): 22.9% (21.9%, 22.1%)Three Rivers (E England): 22.9% (22.3%, 24.0%)Exeter (SW England): 22.9% (21.1%, 19.8%)Stratford-on-Avon (W Midlands): 22.8% (24.8%, 20.9%)Chelmsford (E England): 22.8% (28.6%, 18.9%)Hillingdon (London): 22.8% (22.3%, 19.4%)Worthing (SE England): 22.7% (24.8%, 20.5%)Derbyshire Dales (E Midlands): 22.7% (20.6%, 18.4%)Tandridge (SE England): 22.6% (23.4%, 21.3%)South Cambridgeshire (E England): 22.4% (20.3%, 18.3%)Stroud (SW England): 22.3% (22.6%, 20.1%)Brent (London): 22.2% (19.4%, 13.3%)Westmorland & Furness (NW England): 22.1% (24.8%, 19.8%)Vale of White Horse (SE England): 22.0% (20.6%, 15.1%)West Berkshire (SE England): 22.0% (26.8%, 20.1%)Surrey Heath (SE England): 21.8% (22.5%, 19.8%)Tower Hamlets (London): 21.7% (16.0%, 17.7%)Basingstoke & Deane (SE England): 21.6% (27.4%, 24.2%)Canterbury (SE England): 21.6% (21.5%, 24.1%)Cotswold (SW England): 21.5% (23.1%, 23.1%)Eastbourne (SE England): 21.5% (22.3%, 25.0%)Southwark (London): 21.4% (19.7%, 17.7%)Ealing (London): 21.4% (22.2%, 20.1%)Bromley (London): 21.4% (26.4%, 20.1%)West Oxfordshire (SE England): 21.2% (24.2%, 20.9%)Ribble Valley (NW England): 21.2% (25.8%, 21.3%)West Lancashire (NW England): 20.9% (29.2%, 23.3%)Hertsmere (E England): 20.9% (21.5%, 19.1%)Harrow (London): 20.8% (16.7%, 15.7%)Oxfordshire (SE England): 20.8% (21.3%, 17.2%)Redbridge (London): 20.7% (25.3%, 23.9%)Barnet (London): 20.6% (18.2%, 18.1%)Winchester (SE England): 20.6% (18.3%, 21.1%)Adur (SE England): 20.4% (27.4%, 24.7%)North Somerset (SW England): 20.4% (27.9%, 19.7%)Newham (London): 20.4% (23.3%, 20.9%)Bristol (SW England): 20.3% (22.3%, 17.2%)Wealden (SE England): 20.3% (23.9%, 20.6%)Brighton & Hove (SE England): 20.1% (15.1%, 19.3%)East Hertfordshire (E England): 20.1% (21.1%, 25.1%)Warwick (W Midlands): 20.1% (16.8%, 20.5%)Lewisham (London): 20.1% (23.8%, 20.9%)Rutland (E Midlands): 20.0% (20.2%, 18.0%)Reigate & Banstead (SE England): 19.9% (22.7%, 17.9%)Buckinghamshire (SE England): 19.8% (23.7%, 17.5%)Merton (London): 19.6% (20.9%, 18.6%)Hounslow (London): 19.4% (26.2%, 21.2%)Cheltenham (SW England): 19.3% (18.9%, 18.4%)Windsor & Maidenhead (SE England): 19.3% (23.3%, 15.9%)Spelthorne (SE England): 19.0% (25.2%, 20.6%)Surrey (SE England): 19.0% (20.4%, 17.3%)Guildford (SE England): 18.9% (18.0%, 16.5%)North Devon (SW England): 18.9% (26.5%, 20.8%)Lambeth (London): 18.4% (19.2%, 18.1%)Mole Valley (SE England): 18.2% (19.5%, 14.4%)Waverley (SE England): 18.1% (16.8%, 12.8%)Woking (SE England): 18.0% (16.5%, 21.6%)Bath & North East Somerset (SW England): 17.9% (20.8%, 17.4%)South Oxfordshire (SE England): 17.3% (22.3%, 15.6%)Tunbridge Wells (SE England): 17.2% (18.6%, 18.5%)Trafford (NW England): 16.9% (22.8%, 19.8%)Haringey (London): 16.5% (13.9%, 19.2%)Epsom & Ewell (SE England): 16.4% (21.8%, 16.3%)St Albans (E England): 16.2% (17.3%, 15.1%)Oxford (SE England): 16.2% (16.2%, 14.6%)Cambridge (E England): 16.1% (19.6%, 14.0%)Kingston-upon-Thames (London): 15.8% (15.5%, 15.8%)City of London (London): 15.5% (14.3%, 12.9%)Wandsworth (London): 15.3% (16.3%, 9.9%)Westminster (London): 15.2% (16.2%, 12.6%)Uttlesford (E England): 15.1% (24.7%, 16.6%)Elmbridge (SE England): 14.8% (17.8%, 16.1%)Richmond-upon-Thames (London): 14.7% (20.5%, 12.5%)Kensington & Chelsea (London): 14.3% (13.2%, 19.3%)South Hams (SW England): 13.8% (21.3%, 20.4%)Islington (London): 13.0% (17.9%, 15.6%)Hammersmith & Fulham (London): 12.1% (18.1%, 13.0%)Camden (London): 11.0% (17.3%, 14.1%)
The Independent
07-05-2025
- The Independent
Obesity rises across the UK maps shows worst-affected areas
rates are surging in several areas across England, according to new data, notably in the Midlands and North East. An estimated one-third or more of adults in 44 local authorities are now living with obesity, highlighting a growing health crisis. Doncaster, Stockton-on-Tees, and Walsall are among the areas where obesity prevalence has climbed above 33.3 per cent in 2023/24. Just five years prior, these areas, along with others like Durham and Hull, reported lower figures, indicating a concerning upward trend. The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (OHID) published these estimates based on the Sport England Active Lives Adult Survey. The data reveals a stark geographical disparity, with Lincolnshire's West Lindsey topping the list at 38.8 per cent obesity prevalence. Hartlepool and Bolsover in Derbyshire follow closely behind, both at 37.9 per cent. Significantly, all ten areas with the highest obesity rates are located in the Midlands, Yorkshire, or the North East. Of the 44 local authorities where obesity affects at least a third of the adult population, only five are situated in southern England, further emphasising the regional divide in this public health challenge. 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 (13.0 per cent), Hammersmith & Fulham (12.1 per cent) and Camden (11.0 per cent). A total of 317 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. This is up from around one in 25 (13 out of 317) in 2018/19. There is a 27.8 percentage point gap between the areas with the highest (38.8 per cent) and lowest (11.0 per cent) obesity levels in the year to March 2024. 'Obesity is a global and complex public health concern,' the OHID said. 'It is associated with reduced life expectancy and is a risk factor for a range of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, liver, and respiratory disease. 'It can also impact on mental health. 'Regular physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, colon and breast cancer, and improved mental health.' The figures also show that 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 (23.0 per cent) and Asian (20.6 per cent). Some 252 of the 317 local authorities in England saw an increase in estimated obesity between 2018/19 and 2023/24, while 65 saw a fall. There were 176 authorities that recorded a year-on-year rise between 2022/23 and 2023/24, with 140 seeing a drop and one recording no change. All the data used by the OHID to compile the estimates is based on height and weight that has been self-reported by the survey's participants, which has then been adjusted to more accurately predict figures that would have been measured by a health professional. Obesity Midlands Data
