Report

Health survey reports quarter of adults in England are obese

This report is the latest in a long-running series of surveys carried out on behalf of NHS Digital.

The Health Survey for England series covers core topics, including general health and lifestyle behaviours that influence health and social care.

Authors:
Chloe Robinson Varunie Yaxley Suzanne Hill Elizabeth Fuller
Shaun Scholes
Publishing date:

15 December 2022

Health Survey for England 2021 is the latest in a long-running series of surveys, covering core topics every year, including general health and key lifestyle behaviours that influence health and social care.

Findings

In 2021, 26% of adults in England were obese. The prevalence of obesity increased with age, from 8% of adults aged 16-24 to 32% of those aged 65-74.
Obesity prevalence varied with area deprivation, from 20% of adults living in the least deprived areas to 34% of those in the most deprived areas.
Around half of adults (49%) drank alcohol at least once a week.
One in eight adults (12%) were current cigarette smokers.

Methodology

The Health Survey for England (HSE) is a survey designed to be representative of adults and children living in England. 5,880 adults and 1,240 children were interviewed by telephone. A sub-sample of participants were also interviewed in their homes by a research nurse who measured blood pressure and took samples of blood, saliva and urine. Fieldwork took place between January 2021 and June 2022.