Overweight and obesity in adults and children
This report examines the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults and children in England in 2017. It compares the prevalence of overweight and obesity in different population groups by age, sex, region and area deprivation. Adults’ perceptions of their child’s weight, and the association between their own BMI status and their child’s are examined.
Highlights
- 27% of men and 30% of women in England were obese, and a further 40% of men and 31% of women were overweight. 2% of men and 5% of women were morbidly obese.
- Total diabetes was associated with waist circumference.12% of men and 9% with a very high waist circumference had either diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes. This is compared to 6% of men and 2% of women with high waist circumference and 4% of men and 1% of women with a desirable waist circumference.
- In 2017, 30% of children aged 2 to 15 in England were overweight or obese, including 17% who were obese. Boys and girls were equally likely to be overweight or obese.
- 28% of children of obese mothers were also obese, compared to with 17% of children whose mothers were overweight but not obese and 8% of children whose mothers were neither overweight nor obese.
- 24% of children of obese fathers were themselves obese, compared with 14% of children whose fathers were overweight but not obese, and 9% of children whose fathers were neither overweight nor obese.
Download the tables for this report here.
Estimates of the number of adults and children in England in different body mass index categories are available.
Download the population number estimates here.