Two main drugs - orlistat (Xenical) and sibutramine (Reductil) - made up the bulk of the prescriptions issued by GP practices in England.

In 2006, there were 1.06 million prescription items for drugs to treat obesity, compared with 127,000 in 1999.

The data was released by the Information Centre for health and social care (IC) as part of a wider report on obesity and the health of people in England.

It showed that, in 2006, more than one in 10 adults aged 16 and over were diagnosed with a cardiovascular disease, such as coronary heart disease or angina.

The prevalence of diabetes diagnosed by a doctor is 5.6% among men and 4.2% among women. A total of 24% of all adults were also classified as obese in the health survey.

The report comes a week after the Government launched a £372 million strategy aimed at cutting levels of obesity in England.

Opposition parties said the figures showed the Government was losing the battle against the rising tide of obesity.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman, Norman Lamb, said: "The Government is now spending an enormous amount on treating obesity and not nearly enough on prevention. We're in danger of treating the symptom rather than the underlying causes."

Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said: "The burden obesity is placing on our already overstretched NHS is becoming more and more unmanageable. Drug treatments are a short-term solution from a Government that can't see beyond the short term."