The nation's obesity crisis could kill 170,000 people by 2035 unless decisive action is taken

Heart disease caused by obesity is set to claim approximately 170,000 lives in England by 2035 if current trends hold, the British Heart Foundation has cautioned.

Under current projections, the disease could fuel approximately 45 deaths a day over the coming decade.

The charity’s analysis, which is based on Global Burden of Disease data, found excess weight accounts for 16,156 cardiovascular deaths in England in 2023.

Carrying excess weight raises the risk of fatty deposits building up in the arteries and restricting blood flow, which sets the stage for heart attacks and strokes.

Currently, one in nine cardiovascular deaths in England each year is attributed to excess weight.

BFH chief executive Doctor Charmaine Griffiths warned that the UK could drift further into an obesity crisis with severe consequences, as tens of thousands of families could lose relatives without sustained action.

She called for more decisive Government action and noted that past promises of a “healthy food revolution” have yet to translate into concrete policy.

Katharine Jenner of the Obesity Health Alliance echoed the warning, urging ministers to set firm targets for food businesses ot improve their products’ nutritional quality.

One year has passed since the announcement of health food standards, placing pressure on the Government to publish its consultations on mandatory health reporting and bring forward legislation within the current parliamentary term.

Cardiovascular disease remains among the country’s leading killers, and obesity is a major contributing factor.

The rollout of weight-loss medication, mandatory food-health reporting for large businesses, and new product-health targets could prove key factors in improving prevention and speeding up diagnosis.

The warning comes as separate research published in the Lancet, and led by scientists from the University of Cambridge, found that obesity diagnoses are rising fastest among young adults.

Cases among those in their 30s were nearly 20 per cent higher in 2024-2025 than in 2019-2020, while those in their 20s saw a 16 per cent increase.

Research puts these trends down to younger adults growing up amid a surge in fast-food availability and advertising, compounded by pandemic disruption and cost-of-living pressures.