The UK is the third-fattest European country behind Malta and Turkey with two in three people overweight, shock report claims

THE UK is the third-fattest country in Europe with two in three Brits overweight, a shock World Health Organisation report says today.

One in four of us is clinically obese — and only Malta and Turkey are ahead in the chart of shame.

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Lack of exercise, poor diet and heavy drinking was blamed.

The report found that Britain’s obesity rate is 27.8 per cent, behind Malta (28.9 per cent) and Turkey (32.1 per cent). The European average is 23.3 per cent.

The same study, which assessed 900 million people in 56 countries, said Brits were the unfortunate “world champions” for drinking.

It found they downed 24 per cent more alcohol than the European average.

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Report author Dr Claudia Stein said: “Adult alcohol consumption is a huge ­contributor to obesity.”

National Obesity Forum chief Tam Fry warned: “The Government has to work, and quickly, if the UK is to avoid shortly becoming the fattest nation on Earth.”

Helen Dickens of Diabetes UK told the : "Obesity is one of the main risk factors of Type 2 diabetes, and the reason why 12.3million people in the UK are at risk of developing the condition.

"We need to tackle the obesity epidemic in order to stop the Type 2 diabetes crisis from growing, by helping people make healthier choices and supporting them to maintain a healthy lifestyle."

The Department of Health said it was focusing on kids, adding: "Plans are underway to reduce children’s exposure to sugary food and get them moving more in school.

"Our regulations on junk food advertising to children are some of the toughest in the world – while our soft drinks industry levy has removed billions of tons of sugar from children’s diets."

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Carrying excess weight, even if it's just a little, has been linked to type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease and 11 different types of cancer.

World Cancer Research Fund estimates 25,000 cases of cancer could be prevented every year in the UK alone if everyone was a healthy weight.

Obesity levels in the UK have more than trebled in the last 30 years and, on current estimates, more than half the population could be obese by 2050, according to the NHS.

In 2015 pharmacies in England dispensed just under half a million products for treating obesity at a cost of £13.9 million.

In the same year more than 6,000 people underwent obesity ops like gastric bypasses stomach stapling and gastric band maintenance in England.

According to the World Health Organisation heart disease was the biggest killer in 2015 followed by stroke, both of which were responsible for 15 million deaths worldwide.

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