Almost one in three Brits believe that people with

One in three thinks obese people should pay for their own health care

Almost one in three Brits believe that people with health problems caused by obesity should pay for their own health care .

A study, commissioned by a health insurance company, questioned 2,000 people and around 69 per cent were found to be in favour of obese people, as well as those with health worries caused by smoking or alcohol, paying for these ‘self inflicted’ health problems. Only 19 per cent felt that the responsibility lay entirely with the NHS.

The survey comes as the coalition government prepares for a radical restructuring of the NHS. Obesity can often be the result of over-eating and a lack of exercise . However, scientific evidence suggests that some individuals are pre-disposed to obesity for genetic reasons and so it could be argued that not all cases of obesity are ‘self inflicted’.

Currently, one in four people in Britain are estimated to be obese or overweight . A person is said to be obese when their body mass index (BMI) is above 30 and morbid obesity is categorised as having a BMI above 40.