Obesity and diabetes type 2

Here are five facts about obesity and diabetes.

* Britain has the highest obesity rate in Europe, with one in five adults classed as obese. That could rise to one in three, according to a study recently published in the British Medical Journal.

* Britain's medical spending watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, has warned that obesity is a greater threat to the nation's health than poverty, drinking or smoking.

* Obesity is based on body mass index (BMI, calculate here), which is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in metres squared. A BMI of more than 30 is considered obese. More than 35 is severely obese and more than 40 is very severe.

* Some 2.1 million people have diabetes, often linked to obesity, in the UK. The World Health Organisation expects the number of sufferers worldwide to rise from 194 million to over 300 million by 2025.

* Most new cases of diabetes will be type 2, which could be prevented by lifestyle changes such as increased exercise and a healthy diet.