Child obesity grew during pandemic year

Tuesday 23 August 2022

Obesity levels among primary school-age children rose during the pandemic.

In the academic year 2019-20, one in 10 children in Reception (aged four and five) were either obese or severely obese. In 2020-21, the proportion rose to one in seven.

Meanwhile, one in four Year 6 children (aged 10 and 11) were obese in the 2020-21 academic year, compared to around one in six the year before.

Over a three-year period, the proportion of four and five-year-olds classified as overweight or obese increased to one in four, having remained at around one in five over the previous 10 years.

Meanwhile, the prevalence of children classified as overweight or obese in Year 6 (33%) was found to have remained unchanged over the last 10 years, when based on the 3-year rolling average

The findings flow from a survey of more than 2,000 children by Public Health.

Each year, the height and weight of children in Reception and Year 6 are measured and used to calculate Body Mass Index.

The resulting report also highlights the links between children's parish of residence and their weight, as well as the type of school they attend.

10 and 11-year-olds living in rural areas (22%) and semi-urban areas (33%) were less likely to be overweight or obese than those living in urban areas (44%), the report found.

Pictured: Obesity levels were lower among children who live in rural areas or attended a fee-paying school.

It also found that a higher proportion of Reception-age children who attended non-fee-paying were overweight or obese (27%), than those who attended fee-paying schools (19%).

The difference was even greater among Year 6 students: the proportion of children who attended non-fee-paying schools who were overweight or obese stood at 38%, higher than those attending fee-paying schools (24%).

You can read the full report here.