WORCESTERSHIRE has been named and shamed as one of England's fattest areas, according to figures showing hospital admissions for obesity.

Worcestershire had 1,634 hospital admissions per 100,000 of population because of obesity in 2014/15 according to figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) - more than twice the national average.

Worcestershire County Council says tackling obesity is a priority and requires "long term" action.

Those figures place Worcestershire as the 10th fattest part of England.

The figures are based on where medics recorded a "primary or secondary" diagnosis of obesity.

The majority of hospital admissions for obesity were for female patients - 73 per cent - according to the figures.

HSCIC says obesity prevalence has increased from 15 per cent in 1993 to 26 per cent in 2014.

Commenting on the figures, Tam Fry, spokesman for the National Obesity Forum, said: "The tragedy of such figures is that in 2013 local councils everywhere were never allocated sufficient funds to tackle the problem by Westminster and, in addition, have had to cope with further cuts to their general budgets.

"The numbers will escalate until their legitimate demands for the cash to do the job are met or central government takes back responsibility of controlling the crisis."

The majority of hospital admissions for obesity were for female patients - at 6,630 (73 per cent), compared to 2,500 men.

Almost one in five children in reception year (aged four to five) were overweight or obese in 2014-15 and more than one in three 10 and 11-year-olds.

A spokesman for Worcestershire County Council said: "The causes of obesity are complex and tackling obesity requires long term action across society, the Health and Wellbeing Board has supported action on obesity by developing an Obesity Plan.

"We have continued to share information and promote Public Health England campaigns such as One You, Start4Life and Change4Life to promote healthy eating and exercise as part of living a healthy lifestyle, to help people to lose weight and lead healthy longer, active lives."