Britain is one of the heaviest nations in Europe with more than one in two adults overweight and one in five obese, according to a new charity, Weight Concern, launched last week.

The problem among the young is even more serious, according to Weight Concern, with obesity rates among children having doubled over the past 10 years.

Weight Concern has been set up by a group of psychologists and nutritionists who warn that being over-weight increases the risk of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

In 1998 the National Audit Office attributed more than 30,000 deaths in England to obesity.

Weight Concern, partly funded by the Department of Health and the British Health Foundation, aims to raise awareness of the health problems linked with obesity such as diabetes and heart disease.