NHS faces £2.2bn bill for overweight patients

Overweight and obese patients are costing London health chiefs £2.2 billion a year.

New government figures today show the cost to health trusts of bad diet and lack of exercise.

Officials warn the bill could rise to £2.45 billion by 2015. the estimates are based on how much individual NHS trusts spend on treating patients with obesityrelateddiseases such as diabetes, heart problems and cancer.

Sutton and Merton spends the most in London - £93.8 million compared with £39.7 million for Kingston. Other high spenders are Newham with £92.6 million, ealing with £89 million and Croydon with £88.9 million. the cost is highlighted in guidance to trusts on tackling poor eating and "couch potato" lifestyles.

Department of Health figures show nearly 90 per cent of parents do not recognise their children are overweight. Families also underestimate the amount of bad food they buy.

Nearly two thirds of adults do not know obesity can lead to heart disease. Public health minister Dawn Primarolo said: "every year 9,000 people die prematurely."

Almost two thirds of adults and a third of children are overweight or obese. A government advertising campaign called Change4Life will be launched in January aimed at changing attitudes towards diet and exercise.