New figures reveal obesity is growing issue for Shropshire residents – and health services
The county is seeing more overweight people admitted to hospital than the national average – with more than 13,000 of last year's admissions deemed obese.
NHS England figures show the number of patients admitted to hospital who have a primary or secondary diagnosis of obesity for 2022/23.
It comes as 11.7 per cent of adults in the county were classified as living with obesity – a two per cent rise on the previous year.
Local health bosses said they are working to help people struggling with weight issues.
Across the county throughout 2022/23 there were 13,570 people admitted to hospital with a primary or secondary diagnosis of obesity – 8,275 in the Shropshire Council area and 5,295 in the Telford and Wrekin borough.
In both Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin, there were more women meeting the classification than men.
For Shropshire there were 3,290 male admissions and 4,985 female admissions.
In Telford and Wrekin there were 1,885 male admissions and 3,410 female admissions.
The figures for both areas are above the national average for admissions per 100,000 people.
For England the average is 2,225 per 100,000 – with the figure being 2,357 for Shropshire and 2,954 for Telford and Wrekin.
Body mass index (BMI) is widely used as a simple way of working out whether a person's weight is healthy.
NHS England says that for most adults, having a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered to be a healthy weight.
A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered to be overweight, and a BMI over 30 is considered to be obese.
County health bosses say there has been a rise in the number of overweight people but that they are working with local authorities to support schemes to help people 'make healthier choices'.
A spokesman for NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin said: “Obesity in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin is on the increase with 11.7 per cent of adults aged 18 and above living with obesity (a BMI above 30) at the end of March 2023 – a two per cent increase from the previous year. This is just above the national average of 11.4 per cent and similar increases have been seen across the nation.
"The data in relation to hospital admissions indicates that the individual had a BMI which categorised them as obese, not necessarily that obesity was the main reason for that admission.
“We know that living with obesity can increase the risk of developing many potentially serious health conditions, such as Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and atherosclerosis (where fatty deposits narrow your arteries) which can lead to coronary heart disease and stroke.
“Improving the population's health and preventing illness and disease is at the heart of the NHS Long Term Plan.
"To have a real impact on obesity, we need to work collaboratively with our partners to address its many root causes.
"NHS Shropshire Telford and Wrekin is working alongside our local authorities who are developing Healthier Weight Strategies which aim to tackle obesity in the county.
"These strategies build action to positively change the environmental and societal factors that drive obesity alongside support to individuals to make healthier choices.
“Under the National NHS Prevention Programme, general practices can refer eligible Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin residents to a number of weight management support programmes, including the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme. This programme supports adults living with obesity who also have a diagnosis of diabetes, hypertension or both to manage their weight and improve their health.
"It is a 12-week online behavioural and lifestyle programme that people can access via a smartphone or computer.
“Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin has historically been one of the highest performing areas in the nation for eligible referrals to the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme. We are continuing to work with Primary Care colleagues to increase this number and have referred 1,200 people since April 2023.”
