Obesity levels among children starting their first year of school have increased to almost one in ten, according to new NHS figures. The National Child Measurement Programme, which measures the height and weight of school children in England each year, found that the proportion of four and five-year-olds who are obese rose to 9.6% in 2023/24.
In the previous year, 9.2% reception-aged children were classified as obese (2022/23) but the latest figure remains below the pre-pandemic level of 9.9% in 2019/20. The report also found that the proportion of ten and eleven-year-olds living with obesity fell to 22.1% in 2023/24 from 22.7% in 2022/23, but remains higher than the pre-pandemic level of 21.0% in 2019/20.
The NHS spends around £6.5 billion a year on treating obesity-related ill health across all age groups in England and has introduced a range of innovative services to support children and families to improve their health.
This includes 30 specialist clinics which are seeing thousands of children aged between two and 18 who are experiencing health complications related to severe obesity. The clinics provide support through specialist treatment and tailored care packages developed with a child’s family, which could include diet plans, mental health treatment and coaching.
Professor Simon Kenny, NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Children and Young People, said: “These latest figures continue to concern me as they show almost one in ten children are now classified as obese in their first year of school.
“Obesity can have a major impact on a child’s life – it affects every organ in the body and is effectively a ticking health timebomb for the future by increasing a child’s risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, mental health issues and many other illnesses.
“The NHS is committed to helping young people and families affected by extreme weight issues with tailored packages of physical, psychological and social support, including our 30 specialist weight-loss clinics spread across the country to ensure that every child can access support if they need it.
“But the NHS cannot solve this alone and continued action from industry, local and national government, and wider society together with the NHS is essential to help create a healthy nation.”
Public Health Minister Andrew Gwynne said: “Our widening waistlines are costing the NHS and the economy billions of pounds as well as setting kids up for an unhealthy life. Children with obesity are five times as likely to live with the condition as adults, so it is vital that we take urgent action to protect children today by shifting our focus from treatment to prevention. That’s why we’re restricting junk food advertising on TV and online, limiting school children’s access to fast food, and banning the sale of energy drinks to under 16s.”
The National Child Measurement Programme is overseen by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and is analysed and reported by NHS England and OHID.
The annual report provides data on the patterns and trends in the prevalence of underweight, healthy weight, overweight, obesity and severe obesity among children in reception (ages 4 and 5) and year 6 (ages 10 and 11).
Levels of obesity in reception-aged children living in the most deprived areas (12.9%) were more than double those in the least deprived areas (6.0%). Similarly, obesity among year 6 children was 29.2% in the most deprived areas, compared with 13.0% in the least deprived areas.
The proportion of underweight year 6 children rose to 1.7% in 2023/24 – up from 1.6% in 2022/23. Underweight children in reception remained at 1.2%, the same level as in 2022/23. In 2023/24, the majority of children in reception (76.8%) and year 6 (62.5%) were a healthy weight.
