Obese girls at risk of infertility

OBESE girls are at risk of fertility problems, an expert warned today.

Consultant Dr Jeremy Allgrove, from the Royal London hospital, blamed the country's "fat" epidemic for a rise in child health disorders.

These include polycystic ovary syndrome, the most common cause of infertility in women.

Dr Allgrove said: "The rise in the incidence of obesity means we're seeing an increase in the syndrome, especially in teenage girls. A decade ago we were not getting these types of referrals. Exercise and healthy eating is the only way of tackling the problem."

Diabetes UK today also highlighted the risks of being overweight.

The charity revealed that the number of adults and children with diabetes in England has reached a record two million, including 320,000 in London, a rise of more than 20,000 since last year.

Ros Rosenblatt, regional manager for the charity, said: "These are truly alarming figures. Part of why we have seen this big increase can be attributed to improved screening. However, there's no getting away from the fact this rise is linked to the obesity crisis.

"Diabetes is one of the biggest health challenges facing the UK today. It causes heart disease, stroke, amputations, kidney failure and blindness, and more deaths than breast and prostate cancer combined."

Experts estimate that a million children will be obese within five years unless urgent action is taken.