'Fat map' shows obesity hotspots emerging in 'healthier' South

A map showing Britain's obesity hotspots has highlighted the emergence of problems in the South East.

Old mining and steel towns still dominate the 'fat map', but pockets of obesity have emerged in areas around London.

Nearly one in ten patients registered with GPs in some places in the South East are significantly overweight.

Hotspots include Medway in Kent (9.4 per cent), Barking and Dagenham (9.3 per cent) in East London, and Bexley in South London (9.1 per cent).

Research by medical data analysts Dr Foster Intelligence shows that former industrial towns head the table of the fattest areas, while people from the affluent South are generally the slimmest.

High levels of obesity are found in the steel belt of Wales - which has seven of the ten worst-hit areas – and the former coal-mining areas of Yorkshire and the North East.

The fattest place in England is Barnsley, South Yorkshire, where 10.8 per cent are obese.

The Shetland Isles has the highest proportion of obese patients in Britain – 15.5 per cent.

But problems are being experienced in unexpected parts of the UK, according to the study.

Worrying levels of obesity have appeared on the Isle of Wight (9.6 per cent), in the retirement spot of Hastings on the South Coast and in Great Yarmouth and Waveney in East Anglia (8.7 per cent).

Obesity map of Britain

Researchers produced figures showing the number of GP patients aged over 16 and with a body mass index of more than 30 in the 188 primary care trusts in England, Scotland and Wales.

Under the BMI system, which measures height and weight, those with a score of over 30 are obese, while those with a BMI of 25 to 30 are overweight.

Experts have already identified how rising numbers of affluent professionals, often living in the South East, are putting on weight because they exceed recommended safe drinking limits and visit restaurants more often.

Alex Young, senior project manager at Dr Foster Research, said: 'There does seem to be a growing problem in some unexpected areas, such as parts of the outlying rather than just urban areas.

'Urban areas might be dealing with the problem more effectively but in the outlying regions it seems to be getting worse.'

Britain has Europe's highest obesity rates. Obesity costs the economy around £7billion a year in treatment, benefits, loss of earnings and reduced productivity. This figure could rise to £60billion by 2050, experts warn.

The 'fat map' was produced as Tory health spokesman Andrew Lansley gave a speech saying those who were overweight had only themselves to blame.

'Tell people that biology and the environment causes obesity and they are offered the one thing we have to avoid: An excuse,' he said.

'But I do feel, strongly, that people can and should take responsibility for their lifestyle and health. People need to know that the buck stops with them.'

They must be urged to exercise and eat more healthily, he said. He announced plans to work with the food industry to cut the size of ready meals as well as fat, salt and sugar content.

Health Secretary Alan Johnson said the Tory proposals were a 'pale shadow' of the Government's £372million obesity strategy, published six months ago.

A Department of Health spokesman said: 'Over the last 60 years, the number of people who are severely overweight has risen steadily and there is a very real danger that today's children will not live longer than their parents.'