Almost 10,000 deaths a year could be avoided if Britain’s obesity crisis was halted in its tracks.
Scientists analysed projections for avoidable deaths up to 2030 including cardiovascular disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes.
Stabilising the national weight gain will prevent 31 per cent of early deaths, findings presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Glasgow showed.
This would avoid 9400 premature deaths while putting the crisis in reverse would save 40,000 lives.
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The study, led by Canadian researchers at Memorial University of Newfoundland, suggests that the UK will have 128,000 premature deaths a year by 2030.
Author Niels Lund, of pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk, said: “This shows the extent obesity affects chronic disease mortality.”
Two-thirds of UK adults and a third of children are overweight – Europe’s third highest obesity rate.
Diabetes is the country’s fastest growing health crisis, with the number of sufferers almost doubling in 20 years from 1.9million to 3.7million.
A million more are estimated to be unaware they are living with the condition.
Someone is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes every three minutes on average.
Caroline Cerny, of the Obesity Health Alliance, said: “Obesity increases the risk of many diseases which not only affect quality of life but can also shorten it.
“That’s why reducing obesity needs sustained commitment from central Government to transform our food environment.
“This will only be achieved with bold and far reaching policies including a 9pm watershed on junk food adverts in all media and restricting unhealthy price promotions.”
