Obesity is one of the major health issues of our age — nearly a third of the UK population is officially obese (with a body mass index, BMI, of over 30), double the number 25 years ago.
In that time, as a nation we have put on nearly a stone while remaining virtually the same height, as the graphic on the far right shows.
And it's bad news for our health, with obesity raising the risk of serious and potentially life-shortening conditions including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. It is also linked to cancer — around 23,000 cases a year in England alone, according to recent analysis, although alarming figures published last week suggest the numbers 'may be considerably underestimated'.
But what can be done to halt this apparently relentless change?
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