Half of all British men will be obese by 2040, claim experts The figures also show that young woman will be getting fatter. In 1993, 12 per cent of English women aged between 18 and 40 were obese, and today the figure stands at 21 per cent. By 2030, it is predicted to rise to 33 per cent, and by 2040, to 40 per cent. Tim Marsh, a researcher at the National Heart Forum, said that unlike many afflictions related to an ageing society, this one was entirely preventable. "Whilst there are going to be inevitable health care costs as the consequences of an ageing population - wear and tear that we can't do much to prevent - this is entirely preventable," he told the Daily Mail. The figures for the older generation are even more alarming. Almost 60 per cent of men between 40 and 100 are projected to be obese by 2040, compared with more than 50 per cent of women in the same range. If rates rise as predicted, around two thirds of men and women will suffer from type 2 diabetes, the form that usually develops in middle age and is linked to an unhealthy lifestyle. Mr Marsh predicts that the bill for treating obesity-related illnesses, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and breast cancer, between now and 2030 will reach £320 billion. Mr Marsh said it was important to instill good eating habits into the population at an early and he endorsed Jamie Oliver's campaign for better school meals. "You need to change the environment so healthy food is more available, also better food labelling and healthier food in schools," he said. Jamie Oliver is absolutely right - habits created in schools not only have an impact in the future, but they can impact on the family as well. If children are prepared to eat healthier food, that tends to affect shopping habits. Investing in school food is costly, undoubtedly, but it can be shown to be a good investment. Often people are just looking for quick returns on their investment but we are not going to get that. We have to look at the longer term, over the life course, particularly with politicians. It is not even going to be in their lifetime because 40 or 50 years away they are going to be dead, or beyond caring. A general rule is that sufferers are more than a fifth over their ideal weight.