Celebrities Beth Ditto, Eamonn Holmes and James Corden have been criticised by an expert for making obesity appear normal.

Professor Michael McMahon was speaking about a recent report which revealed that 23% of the British population have a BMI in the obese category. McMahon said “The increasing profile of larger celebrities, for example James Corden, Eamonn Holmes, Ruth Jones and Beth Ditto, means that being overweight is now perceived as being ‘normal’ in the eyes of the public.

“We talk about the dangers of skinny media images, but the problem actually swings both ways.”

He added: “The increased acceptance of obesity is alarming. It is disappointing that in the last five years the emergency services have had to respond to over 1,700 requests to help move obese patients stuck in their homes. However, there are probably numerous social and environmental factors behind it.

“The majority of people go to see a doctor within one week of noticing a cold, cough or ingrown toenail, but the same people ignore obesity problems for a number of years before seeking professional help. This delay could be fatal.”