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Body Mass Index

Volume 459: debated on Wednesday 18 April 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department's estimate is of the average body mass index in (a) England, (b) the East of England, (c) Suffolk, (d) Bedfordshire, (e) Cambridgeshire, (f) Essex, (g) Hertfordshire and (h) Norfolk. (127869)

Information is not available in the format requested. The most recent data available on the mean body mass index (BMI) for adults and children in England is from the 2005 Health Survey for England (HSE).

Table 1 sets out the mean BMI for adults in England in 2005.

Table 1: Mean body mass index for adults1, England 2005

Percentage/number

Men

26.9

Women

26.9

Bases (unweighted)

Men

2,930

Women

3,409

Bases (weighted)

Men

3,144

Women

3,184

1 Aged 16 and over.

Source: Health Survey for England 2005: Headline figures. The Information Centre.

Table 2 sets out the mean BMI for children by age in England in 2005.

Table 2: Mean BMI for children by age, England 2005

Percentage/number

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Boys1

17.2

17.3

17.1

17.6

16.8

16.9

16.9

Girls1

2[17.3]

17.0

16.8

16.6

16.3

17.0

17.2

Bases (unweighted)

Boys

4

25

62

56

73

76

64

85

86

Girls

14

30

38

71

88

89

76

104

71

Bases (weighted)

Boys

4

25

56

49

68

72

65

92

82

Girls

14

30

31

60

77

80

67

94

71

Percentage/number

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

Total

Boys1

17.5

17.9

18.5

19.2

20.2

20.6

21.9

18.4

Girls1

18.3

18.3

20.0

19.8

21.5

21.8

23.0

18.7

Bases (unweighted)

Boys

85

87

70

88

83

71

77

1,091

Girls

71

81

79

100

80

67

93

1,154

Bases (weighted)

Boys

74

84

75

95

91

82

97

1,111

Girls

80

82

71

97

86

70

97

1,107

Notes: 1. Figures for children aged 0 and 1 are not given due small sample sizes. 2. The unweighted sample base for this category is below 50. Source: The Health Survey for England 2005: Headline Figures. The Information Centre.

Table 3 sets out the recent data available on the mean BMI for adults in the East of England Government office region (GOR) from HSE 2003. Data on the mean BMI for children in the East of England is unavailable. Information on the mean BMI for adults and children in Suffolk, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Norfolk is also not available.

Table 3: Mean body mass index for adults1, by East England Government office region, 2003

Percentage/number

Men

27.2

Women

26.9

Bases (unweighted)

Men

728

Women

825

Bases (weighted)

Men

755

Women

735

1 Aged 16 and over. Source: Health Survey for England 2003. Department of Health.