Plus-size sales soar as nation gets fatter

Demand for plus-size clothing is said to be soaring as Britons get increasingly fatter, according to onlinepublishingcompany.info.

Research firm Key Note found that sales of plus-size clothing have increased by 21.4 per cent since 2008, meaning they will be worth £6.26 billion by the end of the year. The company also predicted that this is set to rise even more in the next few years, reaching a worth of £7.57 by 2017.

The results explain why many high-street stores carry the larger ranges in their shops now, including Next, H&M and Marks & Spencer's. Debenhams is now also using size 16 mannequins in its stores.

Some people have claimed that these stores are normalising obesity by offering the ranges, however Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, disputed this. He said that retailers are just "responding to demand" according to dailymail.co.uk.

According to the latest statistics, two-thirds of UK adults are overweight and a quarter are obese. Those who are suffering may want to visit their GP who could recommend a healthy eating regime or even measures such as counselling courses to help with the condition.

The UK is said to now be one of the fattest nations in Europe, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).