'Obesity is the new smoking', NHS chief to say

Being overweight is the second biggest cause of cancer

The health harm and cost of obesity and its related diseases are so great that it is equivalent to smoking and demands similar action, according to the head of the NHS in England.

Simon Stevens will say the health service is leading the effort to tackle obesity, but others must follow suit, when he speaks at the annual conference of the Diabetes UK.

Being overweight is the second biggest cause of cancer, after smoking, and is the major cause of Type 2 diabetes – a disease where the treatment and complications cost nine per cent of the NHS budget annually.

Charities have said the Government must do more to prevent millennials becoming the most overweight generation since records began.

“Obesity is the new smoking and the scale of our response needs to match the scale of the crisis,” Mr Stevens is expected to say.

The chief executive of NHS England will add that "the NHS is already leading the way in the battle against the obesity crisis by slashing the sale of sugary drinks and super-sized snacks in hospitals, and the results now coming out of our diabetes prevention programme are also positive.”

Last year hospitals were told to cut the amount of sweets and sugary snacks available in canteens, shops and vending machines – with the warning of an outright ban if they failed to comply.

Data collected so far by NHS England shows changes made by one major shop, which works across the NHS, have resulted in more than a million fewer chocolate bars being sold in the past year.

There have been 175,000 more pieces of fruit sold and a new range of health sandwiches amount for half of sales in stores.

NHS England’s flagship Diabetes Prevention Programme (DPP) was launched three years ago to stem the numbers of people developing Type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 accounts for nine out of ten diabetes cases in the UK, and can be prevented by keeping a healthy weight and diet.

Studies have even shown losing weight, or an intensive low calorie diet, can put it into remission.

The DPP initiative sees patients at risk of developing the disease, because of their weight, or other lifestyle risk factors like diet and smoking, and refers them to diet and exercise classes, as well as regular one-to-one reviews to track their progress on the nine month programme.

Only around 30,000 people, out of the 154,000 referred so far, actually completed the scheme, but those who did lost more than 3.3kgs on average – one kilogram more per person than the scheme had expected at its inception.

It is also making an impact on health inequalities as half of those signing up are men, while a quarter are from black and minority ethnic communities – who have a higher risk of developing diabetes and are harder to reach with conventional health advice.

“More than 12 million people in the UK are at increased risk of Type 2 diabetes – a serious health condition that if left unchecked can lead to devastating complications, such as blindness, amputation and stroke, said Bridget Turner, Diabetes UK director of policy, campaigns and improvement.

“That’s why it’s really good news that the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme is already exceeding the targets set for weight loss and referrals.”

However the charity said more work is needed to improve care and safety of diabetes patients.

An audit of diabetes care in England and Wales found 18 per cent of hospital beds are occupied by someone with diabetes, and almost a third had experienced a medication error during their stay.

One in five (18 per cent) had seen their blood sugar fall too low – known as hypoglycaemia – and one in 25 had suffered a potentially life-threatening complication called ketoacidosis.

David Jones, assistant director of improvement support and innovation at Diabetes UK, said: “It is essential that people with diabetes feel safe when they stay in hospital.

“We have spoken to too many people who don’t, and these figures show that there is still work to do to improve safety.”