A HEALTH boss has warned there is no magic cure for Worcestershire’s obesity epidemic.

Dr Richard Harling, director of public health for Worcestershire, warned that there was no quick-fix solution for reducing the number of fat people in the county when he addressed a public meeting in Redditch.

Dr Harling talked about Investing in Health for Worcestershire – a plan of how to address health issues like obesity and smoking over the next five years. He said: “Obesity is a big and growing problem if you’ll excuse the pun.

“It’s something the NHS alone will not be able to tackle. I would be delighted if the trust board could agree to commit more medical resources but there is no magic bullet that’s going to cure obesity.”

Trends show deaths from circulatory disease are falling in large part down to fewer people smoking but obesity continues to rise.

One in four adults in Worcestershire are now obese and 40 per cent are in the over eight category, leading to 300 deaths across the county each year.

Obesity has trebled in Worcestershire since the 1970s when one in 12 people was obese.

Less than a third of people do the recommended amount of exercise and the majority do not eat five portions of fruit and vegetables each day according to the latest PCT figures.

Smoking and obesity tend to be higher in deprived areas like Warndon, Gorse Hill and Rainbow Hill in Worcester.

As revealed in your Worcester News the cost of obesity will rise to £142 million per year by 2010 and £152 million a year by 2015 unless something is done now to lower obesity levels.

Ambitious schemes such as the Health Improvement Fund which allow people to bid for £75,000 from a £1 million pot to help people become more healthy have been introduced.