OBESITY KILLS MORE PEOPLE IN UK, SCOTLAND THAN SMOKING: STUDY

Carrying a dangerous amount of weight has caused more deaths in England and Scotland than smoking since 2014, research suggests, Alexandra Thompson reported for Yahoo-UK.

Being overweight or obese has been linked to numerous health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. To better understand its impact on mortality, scientists from the University of Glasgow analyzed more than 192,000 adults in England and Scotland over 14 years.

Results suggest deaths that could be attributed to obesity or an excessive body weight increased from 17.9% in 2003 to 23.1% in 2017. This is compared to a reduced mortality-effect for smoking, from 23.1% to 19.4%.

The scientists estimate the number of deaths that have come down to an individual's dangerously-large frame has exceeded those caused by smoking since 2014.

This comes after a University of College London study found a third of obese people who took a "game changing" drug lost more than a fifth of their body weight.

In 2004, the World Health Organization (WHO) ranked smoking as the top risk factor for ill health in high-income countries, holding it responsible for nearly a fifth (18%) of all deaths, the Glasgow scientists wrote in the journal BMC Public Health.

At the time, obesity or excess weight was the third biggest risk factor, causing 8% of fatalities.

"For several decades, smoking has been a major target of public health interventions as it is a leading cause of avoidable deaths," said study author Professor Jill Pell.

"As a result, the prevalence of smoking has fallen in the UK. At the same time, the prevalence of obesity has increased. "Our research indicates that, since 2014, obesity and excess body fat may have contributed to more deaths in England and Scotland than smoking."

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