UK women top the obesity league

A recent EU survey of obesity within the EU reveals that nearly a quarter of British women are obese, the highest of 19 countries surveyed; 21.1% of British men were also classed as obese, second only to Malta. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index of over 30. The survey was based on 2008-09 data which showed that between 8% and 23.9% of adult women and between 7.6% and 24.7% of men across the EU were obese. The survey reveals significant differences between the youngest and oldest age groups with the most dramatic differences evident in Latvia, the Czech Republic and Estonia. The survey can be accessed at: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_PUBLIC/3-24112011-BP/EN/3-24112011-BP-EN.PDF

Source: The Guardian, 26 Nov 2011 and Eurostat, 24 Nov 2011