Obesity: Children

(asked on 13th October 2023) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on obesity rates among children in the last five years; and when he plans to publish his Department's most recent data on Overweight children.


Answered by
Neil O'Brien Portrait
Neil O'Brien
This question was answered on 20th October 2023

The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) collects data on the weight status of children aged 4-5 years (Reception) and 10-11 years (Year 6). The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities publishes national and local level data on Fingertips. The following table shows data on national obesity prevalence from the NCMP in the last five years.

Prevalence of obesity (including severe obesity) in England

Year

Reception (%)

Year 6 (%)

2017/18

9.5

20.1

2018/19

9.7

20.2

2019/20

9.9

21.0

2020/21

14.4

25.5

2021/22

10.1

23.4

The most recent NCMP data on overweight children will be published by NHS England on Thursday 19th October 2023. The report will present analysis of height and weight data recorded among children in reception (aged 4-5) and year 6 (aged 10-11) for the school year 2022/23.

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