Obesity rise mirrors the UK trend

HOSPITAL admissions for obese people in Oldham have more than doubled in the past year, according to new figures.

The Royal Oldham Hospital saw 27 admissions in 2008-09, compared with 11 in 2007-08, a rise of about 150 per cent.

Figures released by the NHS Information Centre also show that admissions for assaults with sharp objects have declined over the past few years.

There were 33 admissions in Oldham in 2006-07, 36 the following year and 33 in 2008-09.

Oldham statistics tie in with the national trend which has seen admissions for obesity in England rise by 60 per cent in the last year, and by 360 per cent compared with five years ago.

Nationally, admissions for assaults by a sharp object have fallen for the second year running.

However, while admissions for injuries from a firearm have dropped across the country, Oldham figures show a rise from less than five admissions in 2007-08 to 11 admissions in 2008-09.

Nationally, there were 14.2 million hospital admissions in 2008-09, a 5 per cent increase on the previous year (13.5 million).

Just over five million of these were an emergency.

NHS Information Centre chief executive Tim Straughan said: “The large increase in admissions for obesity reflects the growing impact that obesity has on the health of our nation as well as the demands it is placing on limited NHS resources.

“However, it also reflects the fact that overweight people are resorting to treatments such as gastric band surgery to tackle their health problems.”

A full version of the report can be viewed at www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/hes0809.