Figures have shown the number of people admitted to hospital over obesity-related illnesses has increased 10-fold in the past decade.
There were 10,720 obesity-related hospital admissions last year, according to NHS Information Centre figures.
This was compared to 1,000 in 1999, the statistics showed.
A spokeswoman revealed that breathing difficulties and organ failure were among the weight-related issues people were treated for.
Also, other patients had gastric bands fitted – with gastric bypass operations performed on some.
The report on NHS inpatient activity in England also found that the number of patients admitted as a direct result of being overweight had risen by a third in the last year.
“Too often obesity is seen as an aesthetic problem rather than a health problem, but these figures show that obesity is a real health concern,” said a spokeswoman for Weight Concern.
The figures also revealed that the number of alcohol-related admissions increased 54% in 10 years, from 45,100 in 1999 to 69,360 last year.
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