Obesity costs UK economy £2bn a year

The direct cost of obesity to the NHS is £0.5bn ($0.9bn; €;0.7bn), while the indirect cost to the UK economy is at least £2bn, Liam Donaldson, England's chief medical officer, told a conference in London last week.

The obesity epidemic affects all the developed countries to different degrees, with the prevalence reaching more than 25% in some states in the United States and 20% in Australia. In the United Kingdom 22% of men and 24% of women are obese, he said.

Professor Donaldson was speaking at a conference organised by the Westminster Diet and Health Forum, a private organisation with parliamentary support that facilitates cross party debate on public policy issues.

Speakers attributed the growth in obesity to a variety of causes. Mike Kelly, director of research and information at the Health Development …