BBC News Online: World: Europe

English obesity on the rise

A parliamentary report has warned that levels of obesity in England are reaching alarming proportions, with one in five adults now dangerously overweight.

The report by the National Audit Office says levels of obesity have tripled in the last twenty years, making the English among the fattest people in Europe.

Unless action is taken, in ten years the problem could match that in the United States, where a quarter of the population is classed as obese.

Every year tens of thousands of people in England are believed to die prematurely from obesity, which is linked to heart disease, diabetes and strokes.

The report says the government should do more to promote healthy eating and exercise, especially among children.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service