Growing rates of obesity in the UK could contribute to more than seven million cases of disease over the next two decades, campaigners claim today.
Most of these would be additional cases of diabetes but there would also be extra coronary heart disease and extra cases of cancer, the Obesity Health Alliance, warns.
Under current trends, 45% of UK’s poorest people could be obese by 2035, according to the Obesity Health Alliance.
The alliance, which includes organisations such as Cancer Research UK and seven royal colleges of medicine, said it was time the UK introduced a strong childhood obesity strategy.
But one group said this was unlikely, accusing the Government of being about to succumb to lobbying from the food industry.
The Obesity Health Alliance said small changes in the trend to growing rates of obesity could make a "big difference" in reducing future rates of illness.
Its prediction is that under current trends, the UK will have 4.62 million extra people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes over the next 20 years, 1.63 million extra cases of coronary heart disease and 670,000 new cases of cancer – compared with rates of obesity staying the same.
In 2035 there would be 440,000 additional cases of disease, it says. But if the trend is reduced by just 1% a year, this would be reduced by 77,000.
Alison Cox, from Cancer Research UK, said: “These numbers are shocking. And it’s difficult to think of the impact this will have on public health and an already strained NHS. Without bold action, the next generation will face more disease and live shorter lives.
“Kids are bombarded with advertisements for unhealthy food and if we are to give our children the chance for better and healthier lives, it’s vital the Government’s childhood obesity strategy restricts this kind of marketing.”
But the group Action on Sugar it had heard that an obesity strategy would be voluntary and would involve a reduction of sugar levels in food of just 20%.
Its chair Professor Graham McGregor said: “David Cameron has the opportunity to make the UK the first country in the world to prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes but he has to be decisive with the soft drink and food industry and stick to a more effective and ambitious policy.
"From what we are hearing, his plan will have little effect on childhood or adult obesity and type 2 diabetes – a tragedy for the UK."
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