William Eichler 11 October 2019

Around 58,000 reception-aged children obese, data shows

New figures from the NHS have revealed that obesity levels among reception-aged schoolchildren in England have increased.

The National Child Measurement Programme, England – 2018-19 report, published yesterday, shows that the prevalence of obesity in four- and five-year-olds rose from 9.5% in 2017-18 to 9.7% in 2018-19.

This equates to 58,000 children.

Among year six pupils, who are aged 10 and 11, obesity prevalence was 20.2% in 2018-19 (121,000 children). This is similar to the level in 2017-18, when it was 20.1%.

Obesity prevalence among reception-aged children ranged from 5.4% in Richmond upon Thames to 14.2% in Knowsley. In year six, the prevalence of obesity ranged from 10.7% in Richmond upon Thames to 29.6% in Barking and Dagenham.

The NHS’ research also found that obesity prevalence was higher for boys than for girls and was at least double for children living in the most deprived areas compared to their peers living in the least deprived areas.

The chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, described these figures as an ‘urgent reminder’ of the scale of the childhood obesity problem.

‘Councils alongside other partners have made good progress, from health visitors supporting new parents to weight management services, but more needs to be done, especially to reduce the gap between the most and least deprived,’ he said.

‘Since taking on this responsibility, councils have worked hard to increase participation rates and nearly 1.2 million children were weighed in 2018/19.’

He added: ‘The Queen’s Speech should give more powers and funding to councils to help keep the next generation healthy, including tackling the clustering of existing takeaways and restricting junk food advertising near schools.’

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Residential Worker

Essex County Council
£27934.00 - £35344.00 per annum + + 26 Days Leave & Local Gov Pension
Residential WorkerPermanent, Full Time£27,934 up to £35,344 Per Annum (includes allowance) equal to £14.48 to £18.32 Per HourLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Early Years Keyworker

Royal Borough of Greenwich
£37,068 - £38,058
Want to make a difference for children with special educational needs in Greenwich? Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

Early Years Area SENCo

Royal Borough of Greenwich
£39,855 - £42,324
Have you got extensive experience in working within Early Years, with a clear understanding of child development Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

Young Persons Substance Misuse Service Pathfinder

Royal Borough of Greenwich
£31,524 - £32,931
Are you looking to change the lives of young people? Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

Senior Regulatory Compliance Officer

Royal Borough of Greenwich
£37,068 - £38,058
You will be an apprentice embedded within the Trading Standards team. Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich
Linkedin Banner