If England’s obesity rates had stayed at 1993 levels, around seven million fewer adults would be living with obesity today. Instead, the latest figures reveal that 14 million adults are now classified as obese, despite more than a dozen government strategies launched over the past three decades. Clearly, something isn’t working. So, what’s driving this dramatic rise, and can anything actually reverse the trend?
New analysis from the King’s Fund paints a stark picture. In 1993, 15% of England’s adult population (aged 16 and over) was obese. By 2024, that figure had reached a record high of 30%. Perhaps most concerning is the acceleration among young adults. Among 16-to-24-year-olds, obesity rates have tripled, jumping from 6% in 1993 to 18% in 2024. Adjusting for population growth, this means there are now one million young adults with obesity in England—700,000 more than if rates had remained unchanged.
Dave Buck, senior fellow for public health at the King’s Fund, describes the rise as “clearly worrying.” He argues that governments have “talked the talk, but not sufficiently walked the walk” when it comes to tackling obesity. “This analysis shows the scale of the failure to take the necessary action on tackling this obesity timebomb,” he adds.
Why has obesity risen?
There’s no single culprit behind England’s obesity crisis. Instead, a combination of societal, economic, and environmental shifts over the past 30 years has created a perfect storm.
Changing work patterns
One major factor is the transformation of the job market. The rise of the service industry—often referred to as “white collar” work—has coincided with a decline in traditional manufacturing and manual labour. More people now spend their working hours sitting at desks, staring at screens, rather than moving around. This sedentary lifestyle has become the norm, significantly reducing daily energy expenditure.
Food environment and pricing
The food landscape has also changed dramatically. Since the 1990s, food prices have fallen in real terms, partly due to intense competition among major supermarkets. At the same time, the number of fast food outlets and home delivery services has exploded. As Buck explains, it’s now “far easier to over-consume or consume in ways that add to our weight.”
“With things like deliveries, it’s very easy and convenient now to click a button and you get a takeaway at your door, so we’re making it much easier to have high fat, high salt and high sugar foods,” he told the BBC.
This convenience comes at a cost. Takeaways and ultra-processed foods high in fat, salt, and sugar are often more prevalent in deprived areas, where obesity rates are already higher. Healthier options in supermarkets have become relatively more expensive, while the last few years have seen multiple cost-of-living crises, pushing families towards cheaper, calorie-dense foods.
What has the government tried to do about it?
Obesity isn’t just a cosmetic issue; it’s a major public health concern. It’s a risk factor for chronic conditions including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, and some cancers. The economic burden is staggering. Reports estimate that obesity and being overweight cost the UK economy around £126 billion per year, including £12 billion to the NHS—roughly 7% of its annual budget.
Given these stakes, you might expect a robust policy response. Yet, since 1992—the year before obesity data was first collected—14 national obesity strategies have been published, with little to show for them. Campaigners argue progress has been painfully slow, and calls for more decisive action have grown louder.
A history of half-measures
Tony Blair’s government took an early step by banning junk food advertising during children’s TV programmes, though many campaigners wanted a broader ban. Gordon Brown launched a strategy to reverse the “rising tide of obesity” after becoming PM in 2007. In 2018, the Conservative government introduced a UK-wide levy on high-sugar soft drinks, which did prompt manufacturers to reformulate products to avoid the tax—a rare success story.
In 2016, David Cameron considered more aggressive measures, including banning “buy one get one free” deals on unhealthy products and restricting TV ads for junk food. However, those ideas were never fully implemented. Subsequent PMs, Theresa May and Boris Johnson, talked about further action, but plans were delayed by the pandemic and later shelved amid concerns about inflation and fairness to shoppers.
It wasn’t until January of this year that the Labour government finally introduced a ban on junk food advertising before 21:00 on TV and at any time online—a policy almost a decade in the making. Further measures, such as restricting the sale of unhealthy items and preventing fast food outlets from opening near schools, have been proposed but are still not in effect.
What about weight loss drugs?
In the absence of effective prevention, attention has turned to treatment. Weight loss drugs, particularly GLP-1 receptor agonists, are increasingly being used to manage obesity. On the NHS, Wegovy is available to adults with a BMI of at least 35 and at least one weight-related health condition. Mounjaro has been offered through specialist weight-loss clinics in England and Wales since March 2025. People with cardiovascular disease who are overweight can also be prescribed these drugs. Many others, however, choose to buy them privately.
A new daily pill, already available in the US, could soon launch in the UK, potentially making treatment more accessible.
But the Department of Health and Social Care insists that drugs are only part of the solution. They emphasise the importance of tackling the promotion of unhealthy food, increasing physical activity, and encouraging healthier eating. England’s Chief Medical Officer, Prof Sir Chris Whitty, has warned that it would be a “societal failure” if medicating people for life became our only answer to obesity. He points to countries like France, where obesity levels have remained stable, as proof that prevention is possible.
The question now is whether the UK is willing to learn those lessons and take the bold, sustained action needed to turn the tide.
