The differences in obesity rates between children from the most and least deprived areas of England, as revealed in data published today, is ‘nothing short of a national scandal’, school nurse leader Sharon White has said.
The annual results of the National Child Measurement Programme found that childhood obesity rates in year 6 children (aged 10 or 11) were over twice as high in the most deprived areas in England as the least deprived – at 31.3% compared to 13.5%.
The data also revealed that extreme obesity among year six children was over four times as common in the most deprived areas, where 9.2% of children live with extreme obesity. compared with only 2.1% in the least deprived areas.
Children with a BMI centile of between 95 and 100 are classified as “Living with obesity” and those with a BMI centile of between 99.6 and 100 are classified as “Living with severe obesity”.
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Sharon White, CEO of the School and Public Health Nurses Association (SAPHNA), told Nursing in Practice that ‘today’s data on childhood obesity is nothing short of a national scandal’ , arguing that it presented a ‘further example of the widening health inequalities for our children’s young people and families’.
She added: ‘School nurses have a key role in prevention, early help, support, signpost, referral and advocacy, however, as the cost-of-living crisis begins to hit harder in our colder months, we fear this will become an ever-harder task.
While the data did show that average obesity rates had slightly declined year on year, falling from 25.5% to 23.4% among year six children, this is still higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Since then, the prevalence of obesity among children has slowly declined, but has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.
This data also shows significant regional and ethnic disparities in the prevalence of childhood obesity.
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Obesity rates were highest among black children, both at reception age and in year 6, with rates at 16.2% and 33% respectively. Chinese children, meanwhile, had the lowest rates at 4.5% and 17.7%.
The areas of England which had the highest level of childhood obesity were the North East, West Midlands, and London at 26.6%, 26.2%, and 25.8%.
However, London also had the highest rate of reception-age children who were underweight.
The lowest levels of obesity in year six children were in the South West, South East and East of England at 19.8%, 20%, and 21.4% respectively.
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