Most severely children living with obesity referred to NHS clinics are from deprived areas, study finds
A large proportion of children referred to NHS excess weight clinics in England are from the most deprived areas, and many are also living with neurodivergence or other serious health conditions, new research has revealed.
Since the clinics were launched in 2021, nearly 4,800 under-18s have been referred for specialist support. A study led by Leeds Beckett, Sheffield Hallam, Leeds, and Bristol universities found that over 40 per cent of children attending the clinics lived in the most deprived neighbourhoods.
Based on data from over 3,000 patients, the study also found:
24 per cent had autism
23 per cent had a learning disability
30 per cent had liver disease
Many had multiple health complications
Some children had a body mass index (BMI) of over 50, with 40 classified as severely obese.
The specialist NHS clinics support children aged 2 to 17 and are run by multi-disciplinary teams including paediatricians, psychologists and dietitians. Alongside dietary guidance, they offer mental health support and help for other underlying conditions.
Professor Simon Kenny, National Clinical Director for Children and Young People at NHS England, said he was “shocked” by the scale and severity of the challenges facing many families, including social isolation and poor school attendance.
“This is an invisible problem,” he said. “They are not attending school or engaging with their peers. The NHS won't just sit by and let children and young people become ill adults.”
Some clinics are using digital tools such as smart scales, which track weight trends via an app without displaying the actual number to the child. Only clinicians can view the data, offering feedback to families while avoiding potential distress.
Tam Fry, chair of the National Obesity Forum, welcomed the use of technology but criticised the lack of earlier intervention, saying “This should have been done years ago. Children often arrive at school in an unfit condition – and that’s too late.”
Meanwhile, researchers from Sweden’s Karolinska University Hospital presented data suggesting weight loss injections could be effective in children aged 12 and over. Trials showed weight reductions of between five and sixteen per cent over a year. However, the UK’s health regulator NICE has not approved such drugs for routine use in children, except in exceptional cases.