Obesity is a serious public health problem which increases an individual's risk of heart attacks, strokes, Type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

In Hertfordshire, the percentage of adults classed as obese is 21.5%. While this is below the national average of 23% for England, variation exists within the county: the same survey found 15.5% of adults based in the St Albans district to be obese, compared to 28.3% for Broxbourne.