The English are eating more fruit and vegetables and exercising more but this has not prevented the country from ranking as one of the worst in the world for obesity, according to a new report.

The Health Profile of England 2008 shows England fourth worst for obesity in an international survey after the US, Mexico and New Zealand respectively with around 23% of adults classified as obese in 2005.

Obesity in both children and adults has risen over the last decade affecting 15% of children aged two to 10 years old and around a quarter of men and women in 2007.

The increase in obesity has come as the rate of people in England eating five or more portions of fruit and vegetables rose to around 30% in 2007, the report found.

The report published by Department of Health found improvements in health, particularly in falling mortality rates for cancers, circulatory diseases and suicides.

Life expectancy is increasing and is now at its highest ever level while infant mortality is reducing, and is now at its lowest level, the report found.

But there have been marked rises in death rates for chronic liver disease and cirrhosis and there are rising rates of diabetes and the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia.

The figures showed premature deaths from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis in men, amongst the lowest in the EU in 1970, had risen to the average for the 15 pre-2004 EU nations.

For English women, this figure rose from amongst the lowest in the EU in 1971 to above the average for the 15 EU nations.