BRITAIN is becoming "a nation of fat, idle people who will bankrupt the NHS", a Tory former minister has warned.

Lord Blencathra made his stark assessment as he also argued that obesity was not an illness but "a lifestyle choice".

The Conservative peer was speaking during a debate on steps to tackle the nation's growing weight problem.

Lord Blencathra said the recommended daily calorie intakes - 2,500 for men and 2,000 for women - were "generations out of date", based on when the UK population was much more active.

He said: "It is nonsensical to retain these grossly excessive calorie levels now.

"What's worse is they are being exceeded."

He added: "We seem to be waiting for a magic pill so we continue our gluttony and lazy lifestyle and hope that the NHS will fix it for us without having to change our behaviour one iota."

He said: "If we scoff more calories than we burn off then we get fat and obese.

"Obesity is not an illness, it is a lifestyle choice.

"We are creating a nation of fat, idle people who will bankrupt the NHS and we should have the courage to say so in blunt terms."

He called for calorie intake guidance to be revised downwards "to recognise our indolent, lazy lifestyle" and a public campaign "to get the whole nation exercising".

Health minister Lord O'Shaughnessy said: "In the end it is about helping people to develop a healthy relationship with food."