1 articles · Updated · Health & Protection · Aug 7
Summary
14.3 million adults in England were obese or severely obese in 2024, The King's Fund said, warning ministers not to lean too heavily on GLP1 weight-loss drugs after obesity rates doubled from 15% in 1993 to 30%.
7.2 million more adults are living with obesity than if 1993 rates had held, and the think tank said drugs should complement—not replace—prevention aimed at the food environment driving the crisis.
1.1 million people aged 16 to 24 are now obese or severely obese, including 730,000 more than under 1993 rates, underscoring the sharp rise among younger adults.
The group urged the government to keep GLP1 access affordable to avoid widening health inequalities, while enforcing healthy food standards and mandatory retailer targets promised in its 10-year health plan.
14 national obesity strategies since the early 1990s have failed to reverse the trend, it said, arguing England's devolution agenda gives mayors new scope to curb unhealthy food exposure and align local health policy.
With England's obesity rates doubling, could forcing just 11 supermarkets to change their food standards be the real cure over weight-loss drugs?
Why did obesity rates among young adults skyrocket post-pandemic, and could this hidden crisis threaten an entire generation's future health and fertility?