OBESITY is a greater burden on the UK's economy than armed violence, war and terrorism, costing the country nearly £47 billion a year, a report has found.

The study, commissioned by consultancy firm McKinsey and Company, revealed obesity has the second-largest economic impact on the UK behind smoking, generating an annual loss equivalent to three per cent of GDP.

More than 2.1 billion people around the world - or nearly 30 per cent of the global population - are now overweight or obese, with the figure set to rise to almost half of the world's adult population by 2030, according to the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), which carried out the report.

It has now called for a "co-ordinated response" from governments, retailers, restaurants and food and drink manufacturers to address the "global obesity crisis".

A series of 44 interventions could bring 20 per cent of overweight or obese people in the UK back to normal weight within five to 10 years, the report said.

This would save around £16bn a year in the UK, according to the study.

The report said: "Obesity is a major global economic problem caused by a multitude of factors. Today obesity is jostling with armed conflict and smoking in terms of having the greatest human-generated global economic impact.

"The global economic impact of obesity is increasing. The evidence suggests that the economic and societal impact of obesity is deep and lasting."

The recommended interventions to reduce the cost of obesity include portion control in fast food packaged goods and the introduction of more cycle lanes.