Adults living in one area of Nottinghamshire are far more likely to be obese than people from most other parts of the country, new data shows. Data from the NHS highlighted that Ashfield has the 28th highest proportion of obesity among adults in England, with a shocking one in three people over the age of 18 (33.2%) classed as obese.
The data also shows that seven in 10 adults in Ashfield (71.0%) were either overweight or obese in the year ending March 2021. Mansfield comes up as a close second throughout Nottinghamshire for the the percentage of people thought to be obese (32.5%), with Newark and Sherwood the third highest (29.7%).
At the other end of the scale Rushcliffe, the least deprived area in Nottinghamshire, also has the lowest obesity rates among adults in the area, with fewer than one in four (18.0%) classed as obese. Yet, more than 50% of people (56.4%) are still categorised as overweight or obese in Rushcliffe.
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A person is classed as overweight if their BMI (body mass index - a measure using height and weight to assess whether a person is at a healthy weight) is 25.0 or higher. If a person has a BMI of 30.0 or above, they are classed as obese and at greater risk of health conditions including heart disease, some forms of cancer, and type 2 diabetes. A BMI of 40.0 or above means a person is severely obese.
Much of the data highlights the links between obesity in areas that are the most deprived, with obesity being almost twice as high among adults living in the most deprived areas of England than the least. Nottingham, the most deprived in Nottinghamshire, has the highest levels of obesity among children.
As of March 2020 - a year earlier than when adults were last measured - 26.0% of Year 6 children, all aged either 10 or 11, were classed as obese. That compares to 13.0% of Year 6 children in Rushcliffe, the lowest proportion in Nottinghamshire. The national average is 22.5%.
Obesity and overweight adults and children, Nottinghamshire
Local authority // Percentage of adults classed as obese 2020-21 // Percentage of adults classed as overweight or obese 2020-21 // Percentage of Year 6 children classed as obese 2019-20
Ashfield // 33.2 // 71.0 // 22.7
Mansfield // 32.5 // 67.6 // 20.1
Newark and Sherwood // 29.7 // 66.9 // 20.8
Nottingham // 28.4 // 66.9 // 26
Gedling // 25.7 // 62.9 // 20
Broxtowe // 25.1 // 63.5 // 17.9
Bassetlaw // 23.5 // 67.4 // 23.7
Rushcliffe // 18.0 // 56.4 // 13
Across all England, 25.3% of adults were obese in 2020-21, which is an increase from 24.1% the previous year, before the pandemic. The proportion of over 18-year-olds who are at least overweight also increased from 62.4% to 63.6% as many piled on the pounds during the lockdown.
It comes as analysis by Diabetes UK shows an “incredibly troubling” rise in the number of people aged under 40 diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, which is outstripping the pace of diagnoses in the over 40s. Analysis from the charity - in partnership with supermarket chain Tesco - showed that registered cases of type 2 diabetes had risen by 23% in five years among adults aged between 18 and 39.
Chris Askew OBE, chief executive at Diabetes UK, said: “This trend of rapidly-increasing early-onset type 2 diabetes is incredibly troubling. It marks a shift from what we’ve seen historically and should be taken as a serious warning to policymakers and our NHS.
“If you’re under 40, you’re not immune to type 2 diabetes. It is vital that you check your risk now and that individuals, no matter what their age or background, are given the opportunity to access support to reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes.”
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