People Seeking NHS Weight Loss Help Heavier Than Those Before COVID New Study Finds

People seeking NHS help to lose weight during the pandemic are on average five pounds heavier than those starting the programme during the previous three years, new NHS research has revealed.

Extra weight, gained as people lived through the COVID pandemic, means people are at higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

The study, published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, showed that people aged under 40 enrolling on the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme have seen the greatest differences in weight and are an average of eight pounds heavier than those enrolling before.

It is estimated that weight gain of one kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, can increase someone’s risk of diabetes by around 8%.

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Source: NHS England