New cases of obesity are rising fastest in younger adults in England, a study suggests.
Rates of new diagnoses for people in their 30s were nearly 20% higher in 2024-25 than they were in 2019-20, according to the study published in The Lancet. For people in their 20s, new cases jumped by 16%.
These increases were higher than in older age groups - although the most common ages for diagnosis remained the 40s and 50s.
But experts said the trend towards earlier diagnosis was worrying given obesity increases the risk of illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Alongside the age-group breakdown, the team also identified significant differences between different ethnic groups - earlier onset of obesity was more common in non-white people - while the areas with the highest levels of deprivation also saw steeper rises.
These patterns, when it comes to obesity, are well established, but the acceleration in new cases among younger adults was more unexpected, the researchers said.
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