The survey showed 8 in 10 adults aged over 18 have decided to modify their lifestyle in 2021, with 7 in 10 adults saying that they are motivated to make healthier lifestyle changes due to coronavirus.

Compared to last year, almost half of the population (43 per cent) feel more motivated to make changes to their life in January. Around six million adults aged 40 to 60 plan to eat more healthily (40 per cent), lose weight (39 per cent) and increase their exercise (41 per cent).

Evidence shows that being obese significantly increases your chance of being admitted to intensive care with COVID-19 compared to those with a healthy body mass index (BMI).

In addition, four in 10 (43 per cent) regular smokers plan to make a quit attempt in 2021 and nearly half of those who increased their alcohol intake during the second lockdown (45 per cent) intend to reduce their alcohol intake this year.

To support the public in making these changes, Public Health England (PHE) has launched its latest ‘Better Health new year’ campaign to encourage the nation to work towards a healthier lifestyle – whether it’s losing weight, getting more active, looking after mental wellbeing, or quitting smoking. The campaign offers support through a variety of tools and apps, including the updated NHS 12 Week Weight Loss app. This comes as currently 28 per cent of adults in England are living with obesity and 36 per centare overweight.

“There is no doubt 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted particularly the impact obesity can have on some people’s health and health outcomes,” said Public Health Minister Jo Churchill

“We know many people want to make changes for a healthier lifestyle and we want to help them. So the Better Health campaign provides a range of tools, like Couch to 5K, to support people in their choices. This, together with the government’s world-leading obesity strategy, will help motivate and support everyone to take up healthier routines in 2021.”

The campaign targets all adults over 18, with a focus on those aged 40 to 60. There will be a particular emphasis on those groups most affected, including those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities and those with long-term health conditions.