BHF comment
Swift action is needed to reduce childhood obesity rates
New figures show that the number of Year 6 children living with obesity in England has jumped up after remaining fairly static for the last four years.
The National Child Measurement Programme has found that 21 per cent of children aged 10 to 11 have obesity – the highest number on record. Meanwhile, around 35 per cent of Year 6 children have a weight classed as overweight or obese.
This marked a rise of around one percentage point in the 2019-20 school year – the biggest increase since 2015-16.
Research has shown that children with obesity are more likely to become adults with obesity - a risk factor for heart and circulatory diseases, such as heart attack or stroke.
'A sobering reminder'
The new figures were published by the Government’s National Child Measurement Programme for England, an annual report which analyses the Body Mass Index (BMI) of children aged 4-5 years and 10-11 years.
The report also found that children living in the most deprived areas were more than twice as likely to have obesity than those living in the least deprived places.
Around 13 per cent of Reception children living in the most deprived areas have obesity compared with 6 per cent in the least deprived areas.
Meanwhile, around 27.5 per cent of Year 6 children living in the most deprived areas have obesity compared to around 12 per cent of those living in the least deprived places.
John Maingay, Director of Policy and Influencing at the British Heart Foundation, said: “These figures are a sobering reminder of the UK’s growing obesity crisis, which could deepen health inequalities and lead to a future of ill health for a generation of children.
“Children with obesity are more likely to become adults with obesity, who will then be at greater risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases and their risk factors, such as Type 2 diabetes.
“The Government has previously pledged to halve childhood obesity by 2030, and now has an ambitious strategy that could move us towards that goal. But this needs to be followed with swift, decisive action to implement policies such as a 9pm watershed on junk food marketing and further advertising restrictions online.”