A new "fat map" of the UK shows high levels of obesity in the Midlands, Wales, North East and parts of the South East.

The map, created by Dr Foster Research, suggests the problem may be getting worse when compared with a similar map published two years ago.

The data, from GP practices across the UK, shows that more than one in ten patients registered with GPs in some parts of the country are obese.

Hotspots include Bexley Care Trust in London, where 9.1 per cent of patients registered with their GP are obese, Barking and Dagenham primary care trust (PCT) where 9.3 per cent are, and Medway PCT in Kent where 9.4 per cent are obese.

The Shetland Isles has the highest proportion, with 15.5 per cent of patients being obese, closely followed by many parts of Wales.

Alex Young, senior project manager at Dr Foster Research, said: "We need to wait a few more years before we can say definitely that things are getting worse but there does seem to be a growing problem in some areas."

He said: "We are seeing parts of the outlying regions being affected rather than just urban areas.

"Urban areas might be dealing with the problem more effectively but in the outlying regions it seems to be getting worse - places like Newport, Plymouth, St Davids, Stockport.

"If you look at Liverpool, Sheffield and Bristol, the levels are low.

"In the outlying areas, health services are maybe less available. In a city, the services are better, such as local access to GPs.

"However, we need to bear in mind that some PCTs are better at recording the data than others (which could affect the results)."

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