§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
What information they have on the numbers of adults who are (a) overweight, and (b) obese: what is the estimated daily rate of increase in these numbers; and by what percentage they estimate the number of adults who are overweight or obese has increased over the last 10 years. [HL400]
§ Lord WarnerFigures from the Health Survey for England, which each year surveys a sample of the general population, are set out in the table. Overall numbers of the population who are overweight or obese have been estimated from the health survey only for 2001. The table also gives the proportion of men and women who were overweight or obese in 1991, when the survey began, and 2001 and the percentage increase over that period.
1991 Percentage 2001 Percentage Difference Percentage 2001 Number Men Overweight 42.0 46.6 11 8.6 million Obese 12.0 21.0 75 3.8 million Women Overweight 29.0 32.9 13 6.7 million Obese 16.0 23.5 47 4.6 million Notes:
The samples sizes in 1991 and 1992 were smaller than in subsequent years and for reporting purposes the estimates from both years were combined.