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Obesity

Volume 447: debated on Thursday 22 June 2006

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of (a) children and (b) adults are (i) obese and (ii) overweight when measured by body mass index according to the Government's most recent health survey figures in (A) Peterborough constituency, (B) Peterborough city council area, (C) the east of England and (D) England. (77917)

The main source of data on the prevalence of obesity and overweight among children and adults is the Health Survey for England (HSE). Data is not available in the format requested. Table one to four sets out the most recent data on the prevalence of obesity and overweight in children and adults.

Table one presents the data on overweight and obesity among adults in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire (the strategic health authority (SHA) which contains Peterborough) as a three-year average over the period 2000 to 2002. The sample size of the HSE does not allow figures to be produced below SHA level, nor does it allow an SHA breakdown for children.

Table 1. Prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults aged 16 and over in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SHA (3 year average), 2000 to 2002

Percentages

Overweight

42.1

Obese

22.6

Base

1,285

Source: Health Survey for England: Health and Lifestyle indicators for Strategic Health Authorities 1994 to 2002, Department of Health.

Table two shows the proportion of adults who were overweight and obese in east of England Government office region (GOR) in 2003.

Table 2. Prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults aged 16 and over in east of England Government office region by gender, 2003

Percentages

Men

Overweight including obese

67.6

Obese

24.0

Women

Overweight including obese

56.6

Obese

24.0

Bases (unweighted)

Men

728

Women

825

Bases (weighted)

Men

755

Women

735

Source: Health Survey for England 2003. Department of Health

Tables three and four set out the most recent available data on the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults and children in England in 2004.

Table 3. Prevalence of obesity and overweight among adults aged 16 and over by gender, England 2004

Percentages

Men

Overweight

44

Overweight including obese

67

Obese

23

Women

Overweight

34

Overweight including obese

57

Obese

23

Bases (weighted)

Men

39,244

Women

39,803

Source: Health Survey for England 2004. The Information Centre for health and social care.

Table 4. Prevalence of obesity and overweight among children aged two to 15 by gender, England 2004

England

Percentages

Boys

Overweight

13.9

Overweight including obese

33.0

Obese

19.2

Girls

Overweight

16.6

Overweight including obese

35.1

Obese

18.5

Bases (weighted)

Boys

8,833

Girls

8,228

Source: Health Survey for England 2004—updating of trend tables to include 2004 data. The Information Centre for health and social care.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment she has made of the relationship between body mass index and malnutrition in children. (74152)

Malnutrition occurs when a deficiency, excess or imbalance of energy, protein, and other nutrients causes measurable adverse effects on tissue, function and clinical outcome.

The relationship between body mass index (BMI) and malnutrition in children is not straightforward as it is affected by age, gender, growth patterns and ethnicity. A BMI below the second centile of the UK 1990 BMI Percentile Charts for children, indicates that a child is at risk of malnutrition whilst a BMI above the 95th centile indicates that a child is at risk of being obese.