HC Deb 01 July 2003 vol 408 cc236-7W
Nick Harvey

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 3 April 2003,Official Report, column 856W, on obesity, how many obese (a) adults and (b) children there (i) were in 1998 and (ii) are expected to be in 2010. [117840]

Miss Melanie Johnson

The Health Survey for England showed that in 1998, 21 per cent. of women (approximately 5,251,570) and 17 per cent. of men (approximately 4,020,500) were obese. Figures on obese children are not available for 1998. However, analyses of the Health Survey for England 2001 showed the prevalence of obesity in 1999 was 10 per cent. (approximately 63,000) at age six rising to 17 per cent. (approximately 102,000) at age 15.

The National Audit Office report "Tackling Obesity in England", published 2001, predicted that if trends continue at the present rate until 2010, the prevalence of obesity will have increased by 47 per cent. in adults between 1998 and 2010 from 19 per cent. to 28 per cent. No projections for children are available.

Nick Harvey

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 25 March 2003,Official Report, column 206W, on obesity, how many children aged (a) six and (b) 15 there were in 1999; and how many of those children were diagnosed as clinically obese. [117843]

Miss Melanie Johnson

The Census Resident Population Estimates in England showed that in 1999 there were 631,558 children aged six years old and 599,843 aged 15 years old. The Health Survey for England 2001 showed that of these 10 per cent. (approximately 63,000) of six year olds and 17 per cent. (approximately 102,000) of 15 year olds were clinically obese.

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