Increase in obesity rates among Reception pupils
Katy Morton
Tuesday, November 16, 2021
New data from the National Child Measurement Programme shows a jump in the percentage of four- and five-year-olds classed as obese.
The latest statistics, published by NHS Digital, reveal the number of obese children in Reception has grown from 10 per cent in 2019-20 to 14 per cent in 2020-21.
Obesity rates among Year 6 pupils, children aged 10 and 11, have also sharply increased, according to the 2020-21 data.
The NHS said that the figures represent the highest annual rise since the National Child Measurement programme began 15 years ago.
It comes as news that specialist NHS clinics for severely obese children between the ages of two and 18 are to be set-up in England. A pilot of 15 clinics across the country will provide more than 1,000 children a year with specialist treatment to support weight loss.
The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) – overseen by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (formerly Public Health England) and analysed and reported by NHS Digital – measures the height and weight of children in England annually and provides data on the number of children in reception and Year 6 who are underweight, healthy weight, overweight, obese or severely obese.
The latest statistics also reveal the proportion of reception children at a healthy weight fell from 76 per cent in 2019-20 to 71 per cent in 2020-21.
Other findings for 2020-21 include:
- Obesity prevalence among children living in the most deprived areas was more than double that of those living in the least deprived areas.
- The proportion of Reception children classed as overweight or obese was 28 per cent.
- Boys were more likely to be obese than girls.
Dr Max Davie, officer for health improvement at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), called the figures ‘alarming’.
He said, ‘While lockdown may have been a key factor, we mustn't assume that this year's results are an aberration since there may be other factors, including mental health difficulties, which will take time to address. One factor we must focus on is poverty. Every year we see the gap between the most and least deprived children widen. Obesity is increasingly a disease of poverty in the UK and any attempts to address this problem therefore need to be focused on these groups and the causes for their increased vulnerability.’
- The National Child Measurement Programme statistics for 2020-21 are available here
