The British are the fattest people in Europe, according to a new UK Government report.

One in four adults and teenage girls are overweight. And within the next four years the figures will increase to one in three adults and a fifth of all children.

The means Britain has the worst obesity rate in Europe and will likely have more people at risk from the diseases of ageing such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

The report also reveals that people living in the poorer north are likely to be fatter and die earlier than those living in the south of the country.

The highest life expectancy rates are in the South-West, where women can expect to live to 82 years, while men reach 77.8 years.

In contrast, the average woman in the North-East lives to 79.6 years – and the average man to 75.

The report also shows a steep rise in binge drinking. One in three men aged under 44 drinks twice the recommended levels of alcohol on at least one day a week – as do one in four women under 25.

Those living in the North-East are most likely to drink excessively, with a quarter of adults there binge drinking, compared with the national average of 18 per cent.