Health bosses are spending millions of pounds more on obesity now than they were three years ago.

The rise is down to an increase in demand for radical treatments such as stomach surgery coupled with treatments for diseases associated with obesity.

Brighton and Hove City Primary Care Trust is expecting to spend £75 million dealing with obesity compared to £78 million in 2007.

In 2007 West Sussex PCT spent almost £200 million treating diseases related to being overweight and obese and if current trends continue it could reach £207 million by next year.

By 2015, the figure could rise to more than £221 million.

West Sussex PCT healthy weight lead Versha Talati (crct) said: “We know obesity is one of the biggest health challenges we have to face both locally and nationally.

“It is estimated there are more than 140,000 people over the age of 18 who are very overweight in West Sussex, and this number is expected to rise.

“We are seeing an increase in spending to prevent and tackle obesity, in line with the national picture, and this shows how seriously we are taking this issue.

“We are fully committed to ensuring everything is being done to reach people before they become obese and to support anyone currently suffering from weight issues, making sure they have a treatment plan that is right for them.

“It is not about just making people slimmer but it is about saving people’s lives and improving their quality of life.”

The Argus revealed earlier this year that stomach operations for obesity had shot up by 500%.

Almost 200 people across the county had treatment in 2008 compared to the 33 the year before.

Conditions linked to obesity include heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes.

More than 250,000 adults in Sussex are believed to be dangerously overweight.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: “We know that obesity is one of the biggest health challenges we face and it places a financial burden on the NHS.

“That is why we are committed to taking action to prevent more serious illness and much bigger costs to the health service and the country in years to come.”

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