Burton folk carrying too much weight

by ADRIAN JENKINS

A BIGGER proportion of the population in the Burton area is obese than in the districts covering Swadlincote and Ashby, a new UK 'fat map' has revealed.

It shows that 8.5 per cent of South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) patients are considerably overweight, with 8.1 per cent and 7.4 per cent in the communities served by Derbyshire County and Leicestershire County and Rutland PCTs respectively.

Although shocking at first glance, the figures are dwarfed by the 15.54 per cent rate in highest placed Shetland, in Scotland, and the 13.9 per cent in runner up Torfaen and 12.5 per cent in third placed Blaenau Gwent, both in South Wales.

However, the rates tower above the 3.9 per cent in bottom placed Camden and the 4.1 per cent and 4.7 per cent in the London borough's nearest rivals - which are also in the capital - Richmond and Twickenham and Wandsworth respectively.

Controversial health analysts Dr Foster Research drew up the map with sponsorship from drug giant Roche, maker of anti-obesity drug Orlistat, known as Xenical.

Its researchers used doctors' data showing patients aged 16 and over who, in the previous 15 months, had a score of 30 or more for body mass index, a rating obtained by dividing a person's height by their weight.

The results pinpointed obesity hotspots in the Midlands, Wales, North East and parts of the South East and suggested the problem had worsened in the past two years.

Dr Foster's senior project manager Alex Young said: "We need to wait a few more years before we can say definitely that things are getting worse, but there does seem to be a growing problem in some areas.

"We are seeing parts of outlying regions being affected rather than just urban areas."

However, he sounded a note of caution by pointing out that some PCTs were better at recording data than others, which would affect the results.

The map has been revealed only days after South Staffordshire PCT and East Staffordshire Citizen's Advice Bureau published a report hailing the success of their Health Trainer Service, which aimed to improve health in deprived areas, partly by tackling obesity.

Sunderland University visiting professor and National Obesity Forum chairman Dr Colin Waine said: "It is important people understand both the dangers of obesity and the benefits to their health of losing weight."