Over a third of teenagers start adult life overweight with problem twice as likely among poorer Brits
Will Barker
Updated: 17 Dec 2020, 6:18
Will Barker
And the problem is twice as great among the poorest families than among the richest.
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Poor teenagers are more likely to start adult life overweight compared to those from richer families, a study foundCredit: Alamy
In all, 21 per cent of young people were obese at age 17 and a further 14 per cent were overweight, the report revealed.
But the problem was strongly linked to household income, it added.
Co-author Dr David Bann, said: “Obesity rates in the UK have been a concern for decades and these high levels among 17-year-olds, affecting the disadvantaged most, suggest previous initiatives have not worked.