According to a startling new study, eight out of 10 men and almost seven in 10 women will be overweight by 2020.

Led by Professor Klim McPherson from Oxford University, also the chairperson of the National Heart Forum, the recent study updates the predictions of a 2007 Foresight report which was based on data from 1993 to 2004.

The data suggests that though childhood obesity may be levelling off, the picture for adults looks less optimistic. “Not only will people be fatter but the incidence of diabetes, stroke and heart disease will dramatically increase”, the report added.

The report predicts that within 10 years, 81 per cent of men aged between 20 and 65, will be either overweight or obese, and 41 per cent of them will be obese. For women, 68 per cent are predicted to be either overweight or obese, with 32 per cent obese.

The figures released coincide with the launch of the Government’s new advertising campaign, designed to encourage baby boomers to lose their so-called “spare tyres”.

The adverts will advocate the slogan “Swap it, Don't Stop it”, signifying that simple lifestyle changes can lead to weight loss. This forms the latest part of the Government’s Change4Life campaign.