Britain on course to become Europe’s fattest nation by 2033 fuelled by our Deliveroo lifestyle

BRITAIN is on course to become the fattest nation in Europe by 2033 fuelled by our Deliveroo lifestyle.

A damning report warns levels of flab will rocket by a third in a decade — with nearly four in ten adults obese.

The UK currently holds the title as the tubbiest nation in Western Europe, with 27.8 per cent of Brits dangerously overweight.

Only Malta and Turkey weigh-in heavier on the scales, according to the 220-page dossier.

But Britain will soon overtake them all on current trends to top European charts, with experts forecasting obesity levels surging to 37 per cent by the start of the next decade.

Ireland is set to be second fattest on the list with rates peaking at around 36 per cent.

Medics blame the UK’s couch potato lifestyle and growing fondness for meal delivery apps such as Deliveroo and Just Eat.

Online takeaway orders doubled following the first lockdown, and research shows they can contain double the calories as supermarket ready-meal equivalents.

Experts also fear lockdown lard gained over the pandemic have further accelerated the crisis.

The 220-page World Health Organisation report, set to be presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Maastricht, warns excess weight is killing 1.2million people a year across the continent.

The WHO’s Dr Kremlin Wickramasinghe said: “We saw a rapid expansion in the use and popularity of food delivery apps during the pandemic when people were told to stay at home but still wanted restaurant meals.

“They have quickly become part of our culture and lifestyle. However, they have the potential to increase obesity as they drive people to order more than they need.”

Being too heavy increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart and liver disease and several major cancers.

The WHO health boss said the UK’s sugar tax has proven to be effective, but warned that alone it is not enough to turn the tide.

Both Deliveroo and Just Eat said they provide a wide selection of healthier choices.

Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, said: "People have got used to this Deliveroo lifestyle where they can get whatever they want delivered to their door 24/7 without having to move a muscle.

"Our street is littered with delivery bikes day and night as people like the convenience of the service.

‘However, it would be healthier if people were cooking for themselves or at least walking to the local chippy."

A Department of Health spokesperson said: “We are currently delivering an ambitious programme to halve childhood obesity by 2030 by motivating people to choose healthier food options.

“Obesity costs the NHS more than £6 billion a year and tackling the issue will save billions of pounds, helping to put it on a sustainable financial footing as we work to recover and reform the healthcare system.”

• SEVEN in ten teens do not even eat an apple a day, research by Birmingham University reveals.