Almost one in three adults living in Dudley are obese
NEW figures have revealed that almost one in three adults living in the borough are obese.
The estimates have been published by the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (OHID), using data from the Sport England Active Lives Adult Survey and suggest that 31 per cent of adults living in the borough in 2023/24 were obese.
This is slightly down from figures from the year 2022/23, when an estimated 32.2 per cent of adults aged 18 or over were classed as obese, but still a sharp increase from the year 2018/19 when 27.4 per cent of adults were obese.
A growing number of local areas in England are estimated to have at least a third of adults living with obesity, with many of them in the Midlands or the North East.
The entire top 10 are located either in the Midlands, Yorkshire or the North East.
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 (37.9 per cent) and Bolsover in Derbyshire (37.9 per cent).
Dudley's Black Country neighbour, Walsall, ranked 12 nationally, with 36.2 per cent of adults living with obesity.
Sandwell fared only slightly worse than Dudley, with 31.9 per cent of adults being obese, and Wolverhampton had an estimated 31.1 per cent.
Birmingham came out better than the Black Country overall, with an estimated 29.3 per cent of adults living with obesity.
The data showed 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).
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 need support can access help through the NHS weight management programme via their GP.'
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