In 2004/05, the number of admissions totaled 40,741, but figures released by the government’s Health & Social Care Information Centre reveal that in 2014/15 the number had risen to 440,288.
The figures also reveal that the number of female admissions is almost double that of males, accounting for 290,747 admissions compared to 149,490.
The south west had the highest rate of admissions with 1,072 admissions per 100,000 people, but the Wirral in Merseyside was found to be the ‘fat capital’ of the UK with 2,894 admissions per 100,000.
The number of under 16s being admitted to hospital with obesity-related health issues has also more than doubled in the past 10 years, with 3,357 admissions in 2014/15 compared to 1,506 in 2004/05.
The Government is expected to publish its long-delayed childhood obesity strategy this summer in a bid to tackle the growing crisis.