Obesity among children in England has reached alarming new levels, with one in four children severely overweight by the time they begin secondary school. Figures from the National Child Measurement Programme indicate that one in 10 four and five-year-olds are now severely overweight, a rate not seen in two decades, apart from a brief period during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While obesity rates for reception-aged children dipped to 9.2% in 2022 after the pandemic, they have since climbed to 10.7% in 2024. Similarly, obesity prevalence in Year 6 pupils has gradually increased since the pandemic peak, rising from 22.2% in 2024 to 22.8% last year. Boys were found to be more likely than girls to be severely obese by Year 6.

Disparities by Deprivation and Region

The data highlights a stark contrast in obesity rates based on socioeconomic status. Children in the most deprived areas of England are more than twice as likely to be obese compared to those in the most affluent areas. Nearly a third (30.3%) of children in the most deprived areas were obese by the end of primary school, compared to just 14% in the wealthiest areas. For reception-aged children, obesity prevalence ranged from 5.2% in the affluent London borough of Richmond upon Thames to 15.8% in Halton in the North West.

Sandwell in the West Midlands recorded the highest obesity rate among Year 6 pupils, with 32.1% classed as obese. The report also noted ethnic disparities, with Black children being more likely to be an unhealthy weight at both the start and end of their schooling, and children from Bangladeshi backgrounds showing particularly high obesity rates in Year 6. Conversely, children from Indian backgrounds were most likely to be underweight.

Health Risks and Policy Concerns

Childhood obesity significantly increases the risk of serious health conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and certain cancers. Anna Taylor, executive director of the Food Foundation charity, criticized the lack of action, stating, "We keep measuring children, but failing to act on what we find." She pointed to the government's commitment nearly 500 days prior to introduce mandatory reporting by large food businesses on the healthiness of their food sales, a commitment that has yet to be fully implemented.

Taylor added that "delay is the most expensive policy we have," citing the daily cost of hospital treatments for children's dental issues as an example. Earlier this year, England's top paediatric doctor described childhood obesity as "one of the biggest public health challenges facing the country."

Evolving Treatment Guidelines

These figures emerge as the World Health Organization (WHO) has updated its guidelines, suggesting that children over the age of 10 who are obese can safely be prescribed weight-loss drugs like Mounjaro and Wegovy, or undergo weight-loss surgery, if other interventions such as diet and exercise programs prove ineffective. Previously, the WHO considered these interventions unsuitable for children. In the UK, obese children are not currently eligible for such treatments on the NHS, though specialized clinics may offer them to children over 12 under strict conditions.