The rising costs of food in the modern economic climate have made it difficult for people to enjoy healthy eating, experts claim.

Due to this, the government should start to regulate the food industry, which would ensure that all produce would adhere with the guidelines set by the Food Standard Agency (FSA), according to a representative from the National Obesity Forum.

Tam Fry, National Obesity Forum spokesperson, said: "There definitely should be a focus on personal responsibility but that is tempered by the fact that sometimes it is very difficult for a lot of people to eat as healthily as they might."

Ms Fry added that the rise of obesity is costing the country, but she claims that people cannot just be blamed because it is the "role of the government" to ensure the nation eats healthily.

Meanwhile, a Datamonitor survey discovered last month that two-third of Brits are overweight or obese, while it is estimated that one in four women will be obese by 2014.