The prevalence of primary school children living with obesity continued to fall in 2022/23, after reaching highest recorded levels during the Covid-19 pandemic, new NHS England figures show. However, obesity prevalence among year 6 children, aged 10 to 11, remains above pre-pandemic levels.
Statistics published today show obesity1 prevalence among four and five-year-olds in reception classes2 fell to 9.2% in 2022/23 from 10.1% in 2021/22, compared with the highest recorded figure in 2020/21 of 14.4%. The decrease signals a return to pre-pandemic levels for this age group and is one of the lowest levels since 2006/07.
The National Child Measurement Programme, England, 2022/23 report also found the proportion of year 6 children, aged 10 and 11, living with obesity dropped to 22.7% in 2022/23. This was down from 23.4% in 2021/22 and 25.5% in 2020/21 but remained higher than the 2019/20 pre-pandemic level of 21.0%.
In 2020/213, the first set of measurements after schools closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, obesity levels for both age groups were the highest since the National Child Measurement Programme began4 .
The NCMP5 is overseen by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and is analysed and reported by NHS England and OHID. Since 2006/07 the programme has measured the height and weight of children in England annually and provides data on the patterns and trends in the prevalence of underweight, healthy weight, overweight, obesity, and severe obesity6 among children in reception and year 6.
In 2022/23, the majority of children in reception (77.5%) and year 6 (61.9%) were a healthy weight. In reception, 77.0% of boys were a healthy weight compared with 78.1% of girls. The prevalence was lower for year 6 boys, with 59.6% showing a healthy weight compared with 64.2% of year 6 girls.
In 2022/23, the proportion of underweight year 6 children7 rose to 1.6% – up from 1.5% in 2021/22. Underweight children in reception remained at 1.2%, the same level as in 2021/22.
Deprivation:
Levels of obesity in reception-aged children living in the most deprived8 areas (12.4%) were more than double those in the least deprived areas (5.8%). The prevalence of severe obesity was more than three times higher in the most deprived areas (3.8%) compared with those living in the least deprived areas (1.2%).
Similarly, the prevalence of obesity among year 6 children was 30.2% in the most deprived areas, compared with 13.1% in the least deprived areas. The prevalence of severe obesity was more than four times higher among year 6 children in the most deprived areas (9.2%) compared with those living in the least deprived areas (2.1%).
Geography9:
The proportion of reception-aged children living with obesity in 2022/23 was highest in the North East (11.3%). It was lowest in the South East (8.0%), East of England (8.1%) and South West (8.2%).
For year 6, the proportion of children living with obesity was highest in the North East (25.8%), the West Midlands (25.2%) and London (24.8%). It was lowest for year 6 children in the South West (19.4%) and the South East (19.4%).
The prevalence of obesity varied by local authority10. For reception, this ranged from 4.9% in Wokingham to 14.1% in Knowsley. In year 6, the range was from 12.0% in Richmond upon Thames to 31.7% in Barking and Dagenham.
The prevalence of obesity was highest in urban areas for both age groups – 9.4% in reception and 23.6% in year 6.
Ethnicity:
The proportion of children living with obesity in 2022/23 was highest for Black children in both reception (13.6%) and year 6 (31.6%). It was lowest for Chinese children in both reception (4.2%) and year 6 (15.2%).
Underweight prevalence was highest for Asian children in both reception (4.3%) and year 6 (3.8%).
