Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Childhood obesity in England soars during pandemic

Childhood obesity in England soars during pandemic

Experts alarmed as NHS data shows one in four children in England aged 10 and 11 are obese

Thousands of children are facing “serious” and even “devastating” consequences as a result of weight gain during the pandemic, experts warn, as “alarming” figures reveal one in four 10- and 11-year-olds in England are obese.

Health leaders are calling for a “relentless drive” to boost child health as official NHS data lays bare for the first time how child obesity levels have soared during lockdowns.

The National Childhood Measurement Programme, which measures obesity prevalence among school-age pupils in reception class and year 6, found obesity levels rocketed in both year groups by more than 4 percentage points between 2019-20 and 2020-21.

Officials said the “significant” single-year increase in prevalence was the highest rise since the programme began 15 years ago.

The figures show that almost one in seven children are already obese when they begin primary school in England. Among reception-aged children, those aged four and five, the rates of obesity rose from 9.9% in 2019-20 to 14.4% in 2020-21.

By the time they are aged 10 or 11, more than a quarter are obese, according to NHS Digital. In just 12 months, the rate is up from 21% in 2019-20 to 25.5% in 2020-21.


Dr Max Davie, officer for health improvement at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said lockdowns “may have been a key factor” in the rise in obesity rates. “This sharp increase in obesity levels across childhood is alarming,” he said.

Caroline Cerny, from the Obesity Health Alliance, said the figures highlighted “the need for a relentless drive on improving children’s health”.

“There are several aspects of the pandemic that are likely to have contributed to this increase in child obesity levels,” she said. “But it is very clear from data showing increases in sales of confectionery, biscuits and fast food that junk food companies used the opportunity to keep their unhealthy products centre stage in children’s minds. We need to break the junk food cycle to improve children’s health.”

Boys had a higher prevalence of obesity than girls for both age groups, according to the figures. The proportion of children who were a healthy weight dropped between 2019-20 and 2020-21.

Overall, the proportion either overweight or obese was 27.7% in reception and 40.9% in year 6. It means four in 10 children leaving primary school are at increased risk of serious health conditions.

Nikki Joule, the policy manager at Diabetes UK, warned of potentially devastating consequences as a result of weight gain during the pandemic.

“This new data, which shows that two-fifths of children aged 10-11 in England are living with overweight and obesity is hugely concerning, and it underlines why urgent action is needed to improve children’s health,” she said. “Living with obesity significantly increases your risk of type 2 diabetes, a condition which is known to have more severe and acute consequences in children and young people.”

Children living in poorer areas are twice as likely to be obese than those living in wealthier neighbourhoods, the figures also revealed.

In reception-aged children, 20.3% in the most deprived areas are obese compared with 7.8% in the least deprived. In year 6 pupils, the proportion who are obese ranged from 33.8% among those living in the most deprived areas to 14.3% in the least deprived.

“We need an intense focus on closing the gap between the most and least deprived to ensure every single child has an equal chance to grow up healthy,” Cerny said.

The NHS has launched a pilot scheme in which 15 new specialist clinics will care for severely obese children and their families.

“Left unchecked, obesity can have other very serious consequences, ranging from diabetes to cancer,” said Amanda Pritchard, NHS England’s chief executive. The scheme “aims to prevent children and young people enduring a lifetime of ill-health”.

Tam Fry, the chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said the figures would “likely end any hope” that the government would succeed in its mission to halve childhood obesity in England by 2030.

“The figures are staggering and even worse than the forum feared,” he said. “For two years we have had reports of children increasingly being kept at home because of Covid restrictions, endlessly snacking on junk food on top of the amount they regularly eat at meal times, and prevented from being able to play with friends to burn off excess calories.”

Fry said he feared the 15 child obesity clinics were “very sadly likely to be insufficient” in scale to “cope with the numbers who now will need help”.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×