NOO works in partnership with the Obesity Learning Centre
Epidemiology of Childhood Obesity
The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) measures the height and weight of around one million school children in England every year, providing a detailed picture of the prevalence of childhood obesity. The latest figures, for 2010/11, show that 19.0% of children in Year 6 (aged 10-11) were obese and a further 14.4% were overweight. Of children in Reception (aged 4-5), 9.4% were obese and another 13.2% were overweight. This means almost a third of 10-11 year olds were overweight or obese, and over a fifth of 4-5 year olds. The NCMP has now published five years of data on the BMI status of children in England.
For the latest data and information on the trends in child obesity from the NCMP please see:
NCMP national reports http://www.noo.org.uk/NCMP/National_report
Data are also available from the Health Survey for England (HSE), which includes a smaller sample of children but covers a wider age range. Results from 2010 show that around 30% of children aged 2 to 15 were classed as either overweight or obese.
HSE data show year on year fluctuations in obesity levels between 1995 and 2010 among children aged 2-15. Overall, obesity has risen from 11.1% to 17.1% among boys, and from 12.2% to 14.8% among girls, between 1995 and 2010. The prevalence of overweight among children aged 2 to 15 has remained steady over the same period, suggesting that the size of the shift from the healthy weight range to overweight among children is similar to the shift from overweight to obese.
For the latest data and information on child weight, diet and physical activity please visit the following pages:
- Child Weight Data Briefing
- Child Diet Data Briefing
- Child Physical Activity Data Briefing
- Child obesity data sources
- Child obesity prevalence maps
For more information on the National Child Measurement Programme click here.
Deprivation
There is a strong relationship between deprivation and childhood obesity. Analysis of data from the NCMP shows that obesity prevalence among children in both Reception and Year 6 increases with increased socioeconomic deprivation (measured, for example, by the 2010 Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) score).
Click here to view the childhood obesity and deprivation map.
Click here to view the Child Obesity and Socioeconomic Status factsheet
Click here to view interactive maps.
Ethnicity
The NCMP also reveals substantial variation in childhood obesity prevalence between ethnic groups. Children from most minority ethnic groups have a higher prevalence than White British children, although the patterns are different for boys and girls and for different age groups. Among Reception age children, Black African boys and girls have the highest prevalence of obesity. In Year 6, Bangladeshi boys have the highest prevalence, whereas among girls, those from African and Other Black groups have the highest prevalence.
Regional variation
The geographical distribution of childhood obesity in England can be examined within the NCMP dataset. Analysis by Strategic Health Authority area shows that London has the highest prevalence of obesity for both age groups (21.9% for Year 6, 11.1% for Reception), followed by the North East and West Midlands. South Central, South West, and South East Coast have the lowest prevalence of obesity for Year 6 and Reception children. The prevalence of overweight varies less by area, especially in the older age group.