More than half of adults in Jersey are now thought to be overweight, with 17 per cent of them classed as obese.
And an estimated 40 per cent of five-year-olds are believed to be overweight and could be facing a lifetime of obesity-related illnesses.
Dr Rosemary Geller, Jersey’s Medical Officer of Health, said that the Island was facing a rapidly developing weight problem.
She said: ‘The number of people who are overweight is a problem for Jersey, and it is a relatively new problem. Many health issues have been around for a long time but this is a new and rapidly rising problem.’
