Obesity is a major public health crisis in the UK, with around two-thirds of adults (64-65%) being overweight or obese, and nearly 3 in 10 adults (around 29%) living with obesity.
Obesity costs the UK health service (NHS) around £6.5 billion a year, with six in 10 adults in England estimated to be overweight or living with obesity (64.5%).In the UK, over half (55%) of people with obesity reported that their health negatively impacted their work, with higher BMI linked to unemployment, sick leave, and lower productivity.
However, obesity is not only straining the NHS; it is also driving a surge in disability benefits. New obtained by the firm ZAVA shows that an increased number of people, who are obese, are claiming state support.
It is estimated that obesity-related welfare payments have cost the taxpayer almost £144 million (£143,930,551) since 2019, based on the mean award rate of claimants per week. This is based on the proportion of people in the UK who claim a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) where obesity is the main disabling condition. The analysis was then based on:
- How many adult applicants applied for PIP with obesity as their main disabling condition?
- What percentage of these adult applicants with obesity as their main disabling condition were successful in being awarded any PIP component?
- The number of adult claimants who received Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), or an equivalent health or employment-related benefit, with obesity as their main disabling condition.
The recorded increase in claimants due to obesity could reflect the impact of lockdown on both physical and mental health, with limited exercise opportunities and furloughed workers risking an increased body mass index (BMI). Furthermore, a Public Health England (PHE) survey found that over 40% of adults in England had gained weight during the pandemic, with an average gain of 4.1kg.
Poor public health in the UK is substantially impacting both the size of the workforce and people’s productivity; however, this is not felt equally across the country. The North West has the highest number of people in receipt of PIP for obesity as of July 2025, with 644 claims. In 2023/24, almost a quarter of adults in the North West were physically inactive (24%), 2% higher than England’s average (22%).
London ranks second with 606 claimants currently in receipt of PIP for obesity. In London, PIP claims for obesity almost doubled between 2019 and 2025, rising by 85% from 326 in 2019 to 606 as of July 2025. Obesity levels vary across the region, with 56% of adult residents in South East London carrying excess weight.
Following closely behind is the West Midlands, where 528 people are receiving PIP for obesity. In the West Midlands, 67.1% of people were overweight or obese between 2023 and 24. The region saw the highest percentage increase in claims in the UK from 2020 to 2025, rising by 119.8% from 217 to 477.
