Sharp rise in ‘multimorbidity’ blamed on obesity and lack of exercise

GPs struggling to cope with number of patients suffering multiple health problems fuelled by unhealthy lifestyles

Obesity
(Image credit: 2006 Getty Images)

The increasingly unhealthy lifestyles of Britons are leaving GPs struggling to deal with a “tidal wave” of patients with multiple health problems, experts have warned.

One in three people over the age of 50 now have two or more chronic health conditions, known as multimorbidity - twice as many as did just ten years ago, according to a new report from the Academy of Medical Sciences. Meanwhile, an increasing number of young people are being diagnosed with diseases typically associated with older adults, including type two diabetes and heart disease.

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