A recent study by Now Patient, an online health service, found that out of 300 areas in the UK, Walsall, Cannock Chase and Tamworth are in the top 20 with the highest obesity rates.
The study used information from Public Health England to find the percentage of adults, aged 18 and above, classified as overweight or obese in districts and united authorities in England, using figures from 2020 – 2021.
It also factored in the number of online searches for ‘how to lose weight fast’ in order to find out the areas where people are most conscious about their weight – the figures show data collected between April 2022 and March 2023.
In the top 20 list of areas with the highest percentage of adults classified as overweight or obese, Tamworth came third with 74.9 per cent, followed by Cannock Chase in seventh with 73.7 per cent, and Walsall in nineteenth place with 71.5 per cent.
The NHS website states that the most widely used method of calculating someone’s weight category is by measuring their body mass index (BMI). BMI takes into account the person’s age, height, gender and ethnicity. The score then determines which weight category they come under.
BMI calculations do however have limitations in that they do not include muscle mass, which weighs more than fat – muscular adults and athletes may be classed as overweight or obese even though their body fat is low.
BMI can be measured on the NHS website and in some pharmacies, gyms and supermarkets.
The below BMI results apply to most adults, according to the NHS:
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below 18.5 – underweight
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18.5 to 24.9 – healthy weight
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25 to 29.9 – overweight
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40 or above – severely obese
The top 20 areas are listed below.
1. Thurrock – 76.3 per cent
2. Stockton-on-Tees – 75.8 per cent
3. Tamworth – 74.9 per cent
4. Hartlepool – 74.6 per cent
5. Knowsley – 74.0 per cent
6. North East Derbyshire – 73.8 per cent
7. Wigan – 73.7 per cent
7. Cannock Chase – 73.7 per cent
9. Harlow – 73.5 per cent
10. Burnley – 73.4 per cent
10. Boston – 73.4 per cent
12. Gateshead – 73.3 per cent
13. South Holland – 72.9 per cent
14. Darlington – 72.5 per cent
15. Erewash – 72.2 per cent
16. Gloucester – 72.1 per cent
17. Wirral – 71.8 per cent
18. Wakefield – 71.6 per cent
19. Walsall 71.5 – per cent
19. Sefton 71.5 – per cent