'Obesity is now a disease of the poor' warn experts as healthy food becomes more expensive

According to world leading experts obesity is now becoming a “disease of the poor”, as the message on eating healthily is being picked up by the well-off.

A report for the World Health Organisation warned that the number of obese British five to 19-year-olds increased from 360,000 in 1975 to 1.13million in 2016, says The Mirror.

Scientists expressed that the overall child obesity rate of about 10% was actually flatlining, though they noted it was indeed soaring for the poor and falling for the middle and upper classes.

Experts are now urging the Theresa May’s Conservative Government to develop strategies to make healthier food more affordable.

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“Very few policies attempt to make healthy foods such as whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables affordable to poor families”, said lead author Professor Majid Ezzati, of Imperial College London.

“Unaffordability of healthy food options to the poor can lead to social inequalities in obesity and limit how much we can reduce its burden.”

Dr Harry Rutter, from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, added at a briefing: “Obesity starts in a country as a disease of the rich.

“Then it becomes a disease across all of society. It then becomes a disease of the poor.”

Professor Majid Ezzati from London's Imperial College says little is done to make healthier food cheaper for the poor (Image: Imperial College London)

The study was published in the Lancet journal to mark World Obesity Day on Tuesday October 10.

Separate analysis found the amount spent on junk food advertising last year dwarfed the sum the Government forked out for its flagship healthy eating drive.

Just £5.2million was spent on the Change4Life campaign – compared to £143million tempting us with unhealthy treats.

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