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Obesity could be set to kill more people in Sussex than smoking, according to new findings.

According to medical professionals, the condition could become the UK’s biggest killer, given its links to other illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

Currently, around 250,000 adults are already classed as "dangerously overweight" in the Sussex area, reports the Argus.

Healthy weights projects co-ordinator for West Sussex Primary Care Trust (PCT), Denise Kennedy, said her organisation is "determined" to tackle the issue

"We are fully committed to tackling the causes of people’s ill health, by reducing disease and addressing the lifestyle factors that are putting our health at risk," she said.

She added that the group is already doing some "great work" in the region, but that a continued effort is needed.

It was recently reported that obese women who are pregnant with their first child are at a higher risk of experiencing a complicated birth.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

Obese youngsters are at a substantially higher risk of developing cancer in later life due to their eating habits, an expert has claimed.

Professor Kathy Pritchard-Jones - president of the European Society for Paediatric Oncology - has warned that there could be a huge surge in weight-related cancers in the coming years.

Speaking on the subject to mark World Cancer Day, she said that children with a poor diet and lifestyle were setting themselves up for major health problems in later life.

"If we don’t do something about tackling how much exercise our young people take and how concerned they are about what they eat and their weight, we are going to have another explosion of cancers, to which unhealthy lifestyles will be a significant, contributory factor," she explained.

Meanwhile, it was recently claimed by researchers in Italy that patients who have undergone obesity surgery could benefit from a six month course of growth hormone treatment.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

Patients who have undergone obesity surgery could benefit from a six month course of growth hormone treatment, scientists have claimed.

According to researchers at University Federico II in Italy, women who had such treatment after being fitted with a gastric band were found to lose less lean body mass and skeletal muscle mass.

Currently, one of the serious side-effects associated with obesity surgery is the potential loss of this type of mass and muscle.

Dr Silvia Savastano, lead author of the study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, said growth hormones are highly-beneficial to "body composition".

"The results of our study show that the use of short-term treatment with growth hormone during a standardised programme of low-calorie diet and physical exercise is effective in reducing the loss of muscle mass and increasing the loss of fat mass after bariatric (obesity) surgery," he explained.

It was recently reported that an anti-obesity pill has been approved for over-the-counter sale at chemists in the EU.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

Obese people are at an increased risk of developing diverticulitis and bleeding diverticula, according to new findings.

The research, which is published in the journal Gastroenterology, examined data for 47,228 men enrolled in the Health Professionals study.

According to the results, there were 801 cases of diverticulitis and 383 cases of diverticular bleeding.

Diverticula are small pouches in the lining of the colon which commonly form in older adults.

Consequently, Diverticulitis is the condition in which they become infected, inflamed or even bleed – which can be a serious medical problem.

Dr Lisa L Strate, of the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, said: "Some of the obesity-related (factors) believed to play a role in these disorders may also influence diverticular complications, most notably the link between obesity and chronic inflammation."

In related news, an anti-obesity pill named Orsilat was recently approved for over-the-counter sale at chemists in the EU.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

An obesity expert has called for a total ban on junk food advertisements which target children.

Professor Philip James says immediate action is required to halt the nation’s soaring obesity levels.

According to Professor James, chairman of the International Obesity TaskForce, food firms are taking advantage of consumers in the same way as tobacco companies.

He told a conference in London: "We have a catastrophic obesity epidemic and the food industry has had a vast impact on society. The food industry is represented by companies like PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and Cadbury which are damaging the health of people across the world."

Professor James also criticised the government for allowing fast food companies to join healthy living campaigns.

In related news, it was recently reported that an anti-obesity pill called Orsilat has been approved for over-the-counter sale at chemists in the EU.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

An anti-obesity pill has been approved for over-the-counter sale at chemists in the EU.

The new drug, Orsilat, has been developed for adults with a body mass index of 28 or over and will be available in a lower dose than would be prescribed by a doctor.

It works by reducing the amount of fat absorbed by the body, with manufacturers GlaxoSmithKline claiming it can help people lose 50 per cent more weight than dieting alone.

Community pharmacist, Graham Phillips, who advises the National Obesity Forum, said: "Pharmacists have been dispensing emergency contraception over-the-counter for some time, so they have systems in place like consultation rooms to make sure these pills can be dispensed safely to the correct people."

However, Professor Alan Maryon-Davis, president of the Faculty of Public Health, said it is "all too easy" for people to take such a pill without making necessary lifestyle changes.

A £1.4 million government programme to help overweight and obese children manage their weight was recently launched in Wales.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

A government programme to help overweight and obese children manage their weight has been launched in Wales.

The new £1.4 million programme from the Welsh Assembly is set to last for three years.

Around 2,000 seven to 13-year-olds will be offered free ten-week diet and exercise courses, while their parents will be given advice on healthy shopping on a budget.

Currently, one in five 13-year-olds in Wales is overweight or obese, with Welsh children having some of the highest body mass indexes in the world.

Dr Tony Jewell, chief medical officer for Wales, said caring for such children can sometimes be "difficult" if they are depressed about their size.

"We have evidence that shows the programme raises individuals’ self esteem and supports them in making healthier choices," he said.

In related news, Barnsley Hospital recently spent £19,200 on two beds which are both capable of holding patients almost half a ton in weight.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

A hospital in south Yorkshire has purchased new equipment in order to deal with the rising levels of obesity.

Barnsley Hospital spent £19,200 on the two beds which are both capable of holding almost half a ton in weight, reports the Sheffield Star.

It was recently revealed that health problems related to obesity will cost the NHS in Yorkshire more than £1.5 billion by 2015

A trust spokesman said: "Our new beds have a weight limit of 73 stone when raised which makes nursing easier and reduced the risk of injury to patient or staff. The equipment is held in store and taken to whichever ward it is needed on."

He added that the investment will be cheaper than having to repeatedly hire specialist equipment for severely-overweight patients.

In related news, scientists in the UK have recently discovered that children carrying a single gene variant may be more susceptible to overeating and obesity.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

Rising obesity levels in Cumbria are costing the NHS thousands of pounds to fund special equipment for severely overweight people.

According to new figures, one in five children in Cumbria is obese by the time they start secondary school.

Hospitals in Carlisle and Whitehaven have spent around £85,606 on medial equipment for overweight patients too heavy for standard chairs, beds and operating tables, reports the Cumberland News.

The new Change4Life recently launched by the government aims to reduce the proportion of overweight children to 2000 levels by 2020.

NHS Cumbria’s director of public health, John Ashton, said: "Here in Cumbria, we’re lucky to have lots of open space and beautiful landscapes, so we’ve no excuse not to get out and enjoy it."

Elsewhere, a recent study published in the journal Cancer Today indicated that obese women are at an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer compared to their normal weight counterparts.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

Children carrying a single gene variant may be more susceptible to overeating and obesity, scientists have suggested.

There is a growing body of evidence that individuals carrying one of two variants of the FTO gene are more prone to eating excessively.

It is believed that more than half the European population carries at least one of these variants.

Researchers from the University College London found that children carrying any such genes were more likely to carry on eating biscuits even when full from a substantial meal.

Lead researcher Professor Jane Wardle said: "We believe this research tells us more about how some children are more responsive to signals in their bodies encouraging them to eat when full than others."

She added that understanding how such genes work is the "first step" to tackling the childhood obesity problem.

According to a recent study published in the journal Cancer Today, obese women are at an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity