Borough named and shamed for having the fattest children

Almost one in three children in their final year of primary school in deprived areas of England are obese, according to new data.

And Sandwell in the Black Country has been named as the area with the highest level.

An NHS Digital report shows 33.7 per cent of older primary school children in the Sandwell borough are obese.

That compares to one of the lowest rates, in affluent Surrey in the South East, where the rate is just 12.1 per cent.

National, an average of 31.3 per cent of year six children, aged 10 and 11, in deprived areas are obese – more than double the 13.5 per cent in the least deprived areas.

Across the whole of England, 23.4 per cent of children in year six are obese, of whom 5.8 per cent are severely obese. A further 14.3 per cent are overweight, meaning almost four in 10 children aged 10 and 11 are overweight or obese in England.

When it comes to reception class – the first year of primary school, aged four and five – 10.1 per cent of youngsters are obese, of whom 2.9 per cent are severely obese.

A further 12.1 per cent are overweight, meaning more than one in five of all children in this age group are overweight or obese.

The overall data for England, which has been finalised after being initially published in July, shows however that there has been a drop in the last year in childhood obesity compared to high levels during the Covid pandemic.

The proportion of obese children in reception class had been relatively stable since 2006/07 but rose from 9.9 per cent in 2019/20 to 14.4 per cent in 2020/21 at the height of the pandemic.

This has dropped back to 10.1 per cent in 2021/22, which is just above pre-pandemic levels.

When it comes to year six, obesity in children rose from 19 per cent in 2010/11 to 21 per cent in 2019/20 and then increased to 25.5 per cent in 2020/21.

This has also dropped back, to 23.4 per cent in 2021/22, but is 3.2 per cent higher than the pre-pandemic figure from 2018/19.

Boys are more likely to be obese than girls, the report showed.

For example, in year six, some 26.4 per cent of boys were obese compared to 20.4 per cent of girls.

In reception class, there was also double the obesity in the most deprived regions of England when compared to the wealthiest areas. Some 13.6 per cent of reception children in deprived areas were obese, compared to 6.2 per cent of those living in the least deprived areas.

A report released earlier this year warned soaring obesity levels among children have led to a “concerning climb” in the number diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes UK said the cost-of-living crisis could lead to further problems in years to come.

High levels of obesity and a squeeze on personal finances are creating a “perfect storm which risks irreversible harm to the health of young people”, the charity warned. With soaring numbers of children now living with obesity, and numbers diagnosed with type 2 diabetes on a very concerning climb, we are facing a perfect storm which risks irreversible harm to the health of young people.”

Demand for care for those with type 2 diabetes at paediatric diabetes units in England has increased by more than 50 per cent in the last five years, according to the charity.