We analysed data from over 2,500 people who were asked to provide information on their socio-demographic characteristics, health outcomes, height/weight and the political party they voted for at the 2019 UK General Election.

We found that Conservative voters were more likely to be living with obesity (between 42-54% higher odds) and had on average a significantly higher BMI scores (~1 unit).

There was no evidence participants living in constituencies won by Conservative MPs were more likely to be living with obesity than those in constituencies won by other party MPs.

These findings support those from the United States, which suggest that county/state rates of obesity are positively associated with voting for the Republican Party presidential candidate.

What next?

Health is an important political issue and a top priority for voters. Given that almost 14 million people voted for the Conservative Party at the 2019 UK general election, governments and public health agencies may benefit from focusing on the political affiliation of the public when developing obesity prevention and reduction strategies.

Citation details 

Daley AJ, Roalfe AK & Bleich SN. Political voting in the United Kingdom 2019 general election and risk of living with obesity in a nationally representative sample. Int J Obes. 2024. DOI: 10.1038/s41366-024-01569-5