Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what evidence his Department has on the effect of obesity on covid-19 outcomes; and what assessment he has made of recent trends in the level of obesity in England; and if he will make a statement.
Public Health England published a report reviewing the evidence relating to COVID-19 and its association with obesity in July 2020. The review found an increased risk of adverse outcomes from COVID-19 in people living with obesity or morbid obesity, it is available to view at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/excess-weight-and-covid-19-insights-from-new-evidence
There are no data covering obesity trends during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously the Health Survey England found approximately a third of adults were classified as obese in surveys over the last 20 years, and before then (1993 – 2000) obesity levels had increased. Further information is available at the following link:
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/health-survey-for-england/2018