Bid to get Mansfield fit after county residents branded among UK's fattest

County residents have been named as some of the fattest in England after a recent study revealed 67.6 per cent of the county were overweight.

The figures from Public Health England’s active people survey also showed a quarter of the English population were obese, with Nottinghamshire ranked the 13th most overweight.

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The proportion of people in England deemed overweight has risen from 15 per cent in 1993 to 26 per cent in 2014.

The most recent figures showed that across the country 64.8 per cent of people were too fat, with 40.4 per cent of people classed as overweight and 24.4 per cent obese.

Obesity is defined as having a BMI of more than 30, compared to the recommended 19.5 to 24.9.

Councillor Andrew Tristram, Mansfield District Council portfolio holder for environment and wellbeing, said the authority is doing a number of things to encourage healthy lifestyles.

He said: “The council is aware of the health issues of the district and health is now a corporate priority, with a place and wellbeing directorate established this year.

“We make a significant investment in services to encourage healthy lifestyles and including the provision of leisure centres and parks and open spaces to encourage active lifestyles through more participation in sport.”

The study also revealed women were less active than men.

The newly launched Mansfield Girls Can campaign, co-ordinated by Mansfield District Council, Sport Nottinghamshire and Mansfield District Leisure Trust, is looking to tackle this.

Coun Tristram said: “The campaign has been launched to encourage women and girls to be more physically active.

“It is part of a nationwide Sport England campaign called This Girl Can which aims to get women and girls moving, regardless of shape, size and ability.”

The county tipping the scales the most was South Yorkshire, with 72 per cent of people considered overweight or obese, followed by East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

The slimmest was London with just 47.9 per cent of people overweight.

More than 6,000 people were diagnosed with obesity in NHS hospitals in 2014/15 and in the same year prescriptions for the treatment of obesity cost the NHS £15 million.

Dr John Doddy, Nottinghamshire health and wellbeing board chairman, said: “I suspect the cost of treating obesity and its complications are closer to £15 billion and not million.”

The board is responsible for the development and delivery of health strategies across Nottinghamshire.