Most middle-aged people are physically inactive or weigh too much, warns health watchdog

Nearly eight out of ten men and over six out of ten women in middle age are overweight or obese and modern life is taking a toll on people's health, according to new analysis from Public Health England.

The figures come from a survey taken by 1.1m people as part of a PHE campaign targeting the majority of 40 to 60-year-olds who are either physically inactive (less than half an hour of activity a week), weigh too much, or drink too much. PHE said that obesity in middle ages has shot up by 16% in the last two decades and the diabetes rate among this age group has also doubled.

The quiz, called ‘How Are You’, takes people's lifestyle information, gives them a health score and then directs them to free localised, personalisable information, apps and tools with nearly 250,000 people downloading 'Couch to 5k'. Professor Kevin Fenton said that "the daily grind" meant health was becoming a low priority - but small changes in lifestyles could make a big difference.