NEW data has revealed almost 65 per cent of adults in Bucks are overweight or obese.

Public Health England, which is an autonomous executive agency of the Department of Health, has published the data today as part of a nationwide survey.

It is based on adjusted, self-reported height and weight data which has been collected by the Active People Survey (Sport England) since January 2012.

It is measured by local authorities and Buckinghamshire showed there were 64.4 per cent of adults (aged 16 and over) with a body mass index above 25kg per m2.

Milton Keynes had a level of 72.5 per cent, Reading 55.3 per cent and Windsor and Maidenhead at 55.9 per cent.

The data did reveal though, that the rate of increase in overweight and obese adults has slowed in recent years and in children, levels are stabilising.

Diana Grice, Thames Valley Public Health England centre director said: "This new data will enable local councils across Thames Valley to monitor progress towards the national ambition of achieving a downward trend in excess weight by 2020.

"Today’s information will help local authorities to understand the extent of the problem in their area and support their on-going efforts to tackle overweight and obesity and improve the health of their local population by continuing to develop services such as health walks, and access to services such as weight management and healthy eating programmes that will raise awareness of obesity as a health issue."

Public Health England’s mission is to protect and improve the nation’s health and to address inequalities through working with national and local government, the NHS, industry and the voluntary and community sector.

People who are overweight or obese have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. Health problems associated with being overweight or obese cost the NHS more than £5 billion each year.

Kensington and Chelsea has the lowest percentage at 45.9 and Copeland in western Cumbria had the worst at 75.9 per cent.

For advice on weight management go to http://www.nhs.uk/LiveWell/Loseweight/Pages/Loseweighthome.aspx

For personal advice, people should go to their GP or practice nurse, who can also refer the more overweight to weight management groups, which are a successful route to helping people keep to a healthy weight.