About 170,000 people in England expected to die from obesity-linked heart conditions by 2035

Nearly 170,000 people in England are projected to die from heart conditions linked to obesity by 2035, according to a new analysis by the British Heart Foundation (BHF). The charity estimates that about 45 deaths per day will occur from cardiovascular disease attributable to high body mass index (BMI) if current obesity rates persist.

Data from the Global Burden of Disease study shows that in 2023, 16,156 cardiovascular deaths in England were linked to high BMI, a rate of 28 per 100,000 people. Currently, two in three adults in the UK are living with obesity, and globally, more than half of adults and a third of children and young people are expected to be overweight or obese by 2050.

Obesity is a major risk factor for heart and circulatory diseases, as excess weight can cause fatty deposits in arteries, restricting blood flow and increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Dr. Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the BHF, warned that the UK is "sleepwalking further into an obesity epidemic" with dire consequences. "These deaths are not inevitable. Bold action now by the UK government could mean preventing more lives being cut short," she said, adding that pledges for a "healthy food revolution" must become policy.

The analysis also found that about one in nine cardiovascular deaths in England annually is linked to excess weight. Regional variation is stark: the North East has the highest obesity rate at 36%, followed by the West Midlands at 34%, while London has the lowest at 21%.

Katharine Jenner, executive director of the Obesity Health Alliance, urged the government to set strong targets for businesses and introduce mandatory health reporting. "We cannot accept a future where tens of thousands more lives are cut short unnecessarily by diet-related disease," she said.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson stated that the government is tackling obesity by rolling out weight loss drugs, requiring large businesses to report on food healthiness, and setting new targets to improve product healthiness.