Childhood obesity in England reaches highest level outside pandemic years

Data shows ten and a half per cent of four and five-year-olds are living with obesity, with boys more likely to be living with overweight than girls.

Childhood obesity among children starting primary school in England has reached its highest level on record outside the COVID-19 pandemic, new figures reveal.

Data from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) shows that ten and a half per cent of children in reception (aged four and five) were classed as living with obesity in 2024–25, alongside more than one fifth of pupils in Year 6, the final year of primary school. Boys were found to be more likely to be living with overweight than girls.

The figures also indicate that 13 per cent of reception-age children are living with overweight, meaning that almost one in four of this age group are now living with overweight or obesity.

Excluding the sharp rise seen during the first year of the pandemic, this is the highest obesity prevalence recorded among reception pupils since the NCMP began in 2006–07, and marks an increase from nine point six per cent in 2023–24.

Lee Parkinson MBE, a primary school teacher from Manchester, said the findings highlighted the long-term impact of reduced investment in school sport and physical education. “After the 2012 Olympics, school sport funding was cut and the promise to ‘inspire a generation’ faded fast due to austerity measures,” he said.

“Many primary schools lost specialist PE teachers and local competitions, and PE time is often squeezed as pressures on the timetable grow. You can’t separate childhood obesity from poverty either.

“Schools play their part through PE and lessons about healthy lifestyles, but they can’t solve this alone. We need to reinvest in early years support, rebuild affordable community sport and make healthy choices realistic for all families, not just the privileged few.”

In a related report on children’s nutrition, 94 per cent of teachers said that healthy eating improved pupils’ behaviour, concentration and energy levels in class.

The findings underline the link between access to nutritious food and both wellbeing and academic performance. However, food insecurity continues to be a growing concern. Research by the Trussell Trust suggests that around 9.3 million people in the UK, including three million children, are experiencing food insecurity. One in four children under the age of five is at risk of needing to use a food bank.

Mr Parkinson added: “Obviously with the poverty element, if children are coming into school hungry it will make it harder for them to concentrate.”

This challenge is often exacerbated during school holidays, when access to free school meals is limited. Last summer, one in twelve parents reported that their children had missed meals due to financial pressures, a problem partly mitigated during term time.

“I don’t know if it’s lack of knowledge or the fact that unhealthy food is easier to access or simply what families can afford,” Mr Parkinson said. “When parents are working long hours and struggling to make ends meet, healthy living becomes another impossible task.”