Nearly two-thirds of Bedford adults overweight

Nearly two-thirds of adults in Bedford are overweight or obese, figures reveal, as the Government launches a strategy to slim down the nation’s waistlines.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson – who says he struggles with his own weight – has announced a range of measures to help people shed the pounds, including a ban on some junk food promotions and stricter advertising controls.

It comes after a Public Health England report found being overweight or obese can dramatically increase the risk of being admitted to hospital or dying from Covid-19.

Doctors, charities and campaign groups have welcomed the plans, but some say they don’t go far enough.

PHE figures show 64 per cent of adults in Bedford were classed as overweight or obese in 2018-19, the latest period for which data is available.

This was just above the average of 63 per cent across the East of England – it was also slightly above the England average of 62 per cent.​

Professor Dame Parveen Kumar, board of science chairwoman at the British Medical Association, said obesity can have a “devastating” impact on people’s health, including the increased risk from coronavirus.

She added: “As the Government’s new strategy recognises, this has been a real wake-up call for the nation, and it’s imperative that we use this opportunity to make changes for good, not only for society today, but also for generations to come.”

Katharine Jenner, campaign director at charity Action on Sugar and Action on Salt, said: “We are delighted the Government has finally recognised that these huge food and drink companies have not been acting in our best interests when they advertise and discount their heavily processed, high in fat, salt and sugar, food and drinks.”

But she said it was a “missed opportunity” not to introduce mandatory targets on removing sugar and salt calories from products and that it was “absurd” the soft drinks levy – a tax on soft drinks – was not extended to other sugary edibles.

Separate PHE figures show that 22 per cent of children aged four to five in Bedford were overweight or obese in the 2018-19 academic year.

This rose to 36 per cent for those in Year 6 – the final year of primary school.

The Prime Minister’s obesity strategy includes:

Barring shops from pushing “buy one, get one free” promotions on unhealthy products

Ending junk food adverts on television and online before the 9pm watershed

Forcing restaurants and takeaways with more than 250 employees to add calorie labels to menus

Expanding NHS weight management services and its Diabetes Prevention Programme