Obesity-related hospital admissions have doubled in England during last four years

Hospital admissions related to obesity have more than doubled in England during the last four years, according to new figures.
NHS Digital has revealed that around 617,000 hospital appointments where obesity was a factor were recorded in 2016-17, rising from 292,000 in 2012-13.
Obesity is significantly linked with type 2 diabetes and complications such as heart disease and stroke, and while these new findings are unnerving, it is possible to reduce these risks and lose weight safely through making healthy lifestyle changes.
Eating a low carb diet has been shown on our Low Carb Program to help members with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes lose an average of 7kg one year after completing the program.
Public Health England says it recognises obesity is a “significant challenge”, additionally so because NHS Digital’s annual survey revealed growing obesity rates among children.
The number of children who are obese upon beginning reception has increased from 4.5 to 6.8% during the last 10 years. In better news, the proportion of children meeting governmental physical activity guidelines rose from 21% in 2012 to 23% in 2015 for boys, and from 10% in 2012 to 20% in 2015 for girls.
Prof Russell Viner, president of Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: “We know that obese children are likely to go on to be obese in adulthood, which can result in serious conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
“The increase in hospital admissions directly attributed to obesity is an indicator that this impact is already being seen.”
On Friday 6 April, the government’s sugar tax will come into effect, a levy designed to encourage food and drink manufacturers to reduce the sugar in their products. Many companies such as Irn-Bru have already reformulated their products, whereas others such as Coca-Cola have stuck with their original recipes and hiked the price.
Sugar is predominantly linked with increased obesity rates, as well as causing insulin resistance which leads to type 2 diabetes. Earlier this year a Manchester hospital became the first to ban added sugar from its restaurant meals, and the NHS has also proposed plans to ban sugary drinks from hospitals.