Nearly one in 10 children are obese in first year at school
New NHS figures show alarming rise in obesity levels among children starting their first year of school
The number of four and five year-olds classified as ‘obese’ has risen in the past year, from 9.2% in 2022-23 to 9.6% in 2023-24. The finding comes in the latest report from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP), a government initiative overseen by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) that provides annual data on the patterns and trends in the prevalence of underweight, healthy weight, overweight, obesity and severe obesity among children.
Photo by Providence Doucet
Children in state-maintained schools in England are assessed in Reception (that is, aged 4-5) and Year 6 (aged 10-11). Anonymised data is then produced on body mass index (BMI), classified by age, deprivation, ethnicity and sex, as well as offering analyses by geographical location.
The new report shows that the majority of children in reception and year 6 are a healthy weight – 76.8% and 62.5% of them respectively. But the difference between the two figures is concerning, suggesting a downward trend in health as school-age children get older.
- Read the full report: National Child Measurement Programme, England, 2023/24 School Year
What’s more, the new report shows that while the proportion of 10 and 11 year-olds classified as obese has fallen, from 22.7% to 22.1% over the same period, levels are still notably higher than the pre-pandemic level of 21.0% in 2019-20.
The levels of obesity among reception-aged children are lower than pre-pandemic – the figure was 9.9% in 2019-20 – but are of considerable concern.
In addition, the report shows an economic link to obesity, with levels in the most deprived areas of the country are more than twice those in the least deprived areas. For reception-aged children the difference is 12.9% to 6.0%, for children in year 6 the difference is 29.2% to 13.0%.
The report also reveals that the proportion of underweight year 6 children has risen slightly from 1.6% in 2022-23 to 1.7% in 2022-23, while levels of underweight reception-aged children remains at 1.2%.
Each year in England, the NHS spends some £6.5bn treating obesity-related ill health across all age groups. Innovative services to support children and families to improve their health include 30 new specialist clinics that see thousands of children aged between two and 18 who experience health complications related to severe obesity. These clinics provide support through specialist treatment and tailored care packages developed with a child’s family, such as diet plans, mental health treatment and coaching.
Professor Simon Kenny, National Clinical Director for Children and Young People at NHS England, says: ‘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.”
Andrew Gwynne MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention, adds: ‘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.’
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