- A nationwide analysis of 54 million adults found recorded obesity prevalence in England rose from 26.3% to 30.3% between 2019 and 2025.
- The burden is rising fastest in disadvantaged communities, with clear differences by sex, ethnicity, age and region.
- The findings show obesity policy cannot rely only on treatment after weight gain has already happened.
A major analysis of NHS records suggests obesity in England is now affecting around one in three adults.
Researchers examined linked electronic health records covering more than 54 million adults between 2019 and 2025.
By April 2025, recorded obesity prevalence had risen to 30.3%.
That is up from 26.3% in 2019.
The study also found 4.1 million people were newly recorded as having obesity during the period.
But the headline number hides major inequalities.
Recorded obesity was 35% higher in the most deprived groups compared with the least deprived.
The increase was especially marked among women, Black women and adults aged 20 to 39.
Non-White groups also tended to have obesity recorded up to 14 years earlier than White groups.
Some of the most striking figures were seen among older Black women.
Among Black women over 40, obesity prevalence exceeded 40% regardless of deprivation level.
Using ethnicity-specific BMI thresholds pushed estimates even higher in some groups.
Regional differences were also sharp.
Some areas had recorded obesity prevalence below 10%, while others were close to 50%.
The largest increases were seen in less affluent areas, where obesity was already more common.
The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have distorted diagnosis patterns.
Recorded obesity diagnoses fell temporarily during the pandemic, probably because people had fewer routine healthcare contacts.
They then rebounded as services resumed.
- Tomato-soy juice reduced inflammation markers in adults with obesity
- Severe obesity may weaken heart muscle in one common type of heart failure
- Global obesity is no longer rising at the same speed everywhere
That matters because the study relies on routine health records.
People who see their GP less often may be under-recorded, particularly younger adults.
Even so, the researchers found that the broad inequalities remained consistent.
The message is hard to dodge.
Obesity in England is not rising evenly.
It is being shaped by poverty, ethnicity, sex, geography and access to care.
Medication can help some people, but it does not fix the conditions that drive obesity in the first place.
If prevention does not tackle food environments, income, housing, work, transport and local access to healthy options, the gap will keep widening.
