The official figures drawn up by the Department of Health show Leeds faces the highest burden of £220m, followed by North Yorkshire at £207m, to treat diseases including cancer and heart disease linked to obese and overweight people.

Health chiefs have already warned that Yorkshire faces some of the highest levels of obesity in the country.

A report details findings of research to investigate why people find it difficult to live healthy lives. It shows:

Only one in nine parents with overweight or obese children recognise they have a problem.

Parents underestimate how much unhealthy and convenience food they buy but overestimate how active children are.

Just six per cent of parents know obesity is linked to cancer.

Snacks are used as rewards, as fillers to keep children from boredom and to stop arguments.

Many parents do not know how to cook a meal from scratch.

The details are being published ahead of the launch of the national Change4Life campaign.

Paul Johnstone, regional director of public health, said: "These figures illustrate the scale of this problem perfectly; people in Yorkshire are getting fatter faster than any other region in the country."

Minister Dawn Primarolo said: "Obesity is the biggest health challenge we face. Many people simply just don't know that being overweight can lead to major health problems including heart disease and cancer."