The bar charts illustrate the estimated number of obese adults and children in the UK in 2003 and 2010.
Overall, obesity levels increased in all groups over the period. Adults recorded higher figures than children, and men and boys showed slightly higher numbers than women and girls.
In terms of adults, the number of obese men rose significantly from about 4 million in 2003 to approximately 6.5 million in 2010. Similarly, the figure for women increased from around 5 million to about 6 million, although the growth was less dramatic compared to men.
Looking at children, a similar upward trend can be observed. The number of obese boys grew from roughly 700 thousand in 2003 to around 800 thousand in 2010. Meanwhile, the figure for girls increased more noticeably, from approximately 650 thousand to about 900 thousand, making them the highest among children in 2010.
