Expanding market

The cost of obesity is adding up for the NHS, but who is benefiting from the bulge? Vernon Baxter reports

As trends go, the UK?s soaring obesity levels have not been hard to miss. It does not take a doctor to point out that the public waistline is a growing problem ? not to mention an expensive one. New figures obtained by the Conservatives under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that the NHS has been forced to spend almost £45 million on procuring heavy-duty clinical equipment or bolstering existing facilities. The number might look like a drop in the ocean when compared to the overall NHS budget, but it is a nagging reminder that obesity will significantly change the face of healthcare in the UK. Click here to read full article.