Obesity in men to increase dramatically by 2040

A health expert has claimed that half of all English men will be obese by the year 2040, and that the cost to the NHS of treating related illnesses could amount to GBP320 billion.
Tim Marsh, from the National Heart Forum, has warned that the number of people being treated by the NHS for conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and stroke are expected to rise hugely over the next 30 years. He commented “Whilst there are going to be inevitable healthcare costs as the consequences of an ageing population – wear and tear that we can’t do much to prevent – this is entirely preventable.”
Marsh said that in 1993 only about 10 per cent of English men between the ages of 18 and 40 could be categorised as obese, but that number now stands at 20 per cent, and that the trend is that 40 per cent of young men in England will be obese by 2030, rising to 45 per cent by 2040.
Young women are also getting fatter, although not as quickly. In 1993, about 12 per cent of English women between the ages of 18 and 40 were obese, while the figure currently stands at 21 per cent. This is due to rise to 33 per cent by 2030 and 40 per cent by 2040.
These predicted rates of obesity would mean about two thirds of all adults will develop type 2 diabetes by 2040.