You asked
I would like to know the number of deaths due to obesity, per day, in under 18 year olds.
We said
Thank you for your enquiry.
We are responsible for publishing mortality statistics for deaths registered in England and Wales, using the information supplied on the death certificate. The most recent year for which mortality statistics are available is 2018.
Cause of death is coded using Version 10 of the International classification of diseases (ICD-10). Deaths with an underlying cause of obesity would be assigned the ICD-10 code E66.
The selection of the underlying cause of death is based on ICD rules and is made from the condition or conditions reported by the certifier, as recorded on the certificate. The underlying cause of death is defined by WHO as:
- the disease or injury that initiated the train of events directly leading to death
- the circumstances of the accident or violence that produced the fatal injury
Obesity is usually a background risk factor causing another condition such as heart disease, diabetes or cancer, rather than a health problem that is specifically mentioned on the death certificate. Therefore, the number of deaths with an underlying cause, or mention of obesity on the death certificate is likely to be an underestimate of the true number of deaths where obesity was a contributing factor. As such, Public Health England may be better placed to provide a more accurate estimate https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-obesity-and-the-food-environment/health-matters-obesity-and-the-food-environment--2
Other special extracts and tabulations of deaths data for England and Wales are available (subject to legal frameworks, disclosure control, resources and agreement of costs, where appropriate). You can contact the team directly at: mortality@ons.gov.uk