New figures have revealed that more than one in ten children beginning primary school in England are now obese.
Data from the National Child Measurement Programme for 2024/25 indicates that 10.5 per cent of Reception pupils, alongside over a fifth of Year 6 children, were obese, with boys showing a greater propensity to be overweight than girls.
This represents the highest obesity prevalence recorded in Reception since data collection began in 2006/07, excluding the peak observed during the first year of the pandemic.
Regional disparities are stark, with nearly one in three Year 6 children in Sandwell (30.7 per cent) and Wolverhampton (30 per cent) in the West Midlands, and Knowsley (30.1 per cent) in northwest England, found to be obese.
Professor Simon Kenny, NHS national clinical director for children and young people, said the figures are “extremely concerning”.
“Obesity can have a devastating impact on children’s health, increasing their risk of Type 2 diabetes, cancer, mental health issues, and many other illnesses, which can sadly lead to shorter and unhappier lives,” he said.
The figures have been published as part of the Government’s National Child Measurement Programme, which covers mainstream state-maintained schools.
Here is a full list of the estimated level of obesity among Reception and Year 6 schoolchildren in every local authority area in England in 2024/25:
The data has been compiled by the postcode address of the child, not the postcode address of their school, with lists ordered by prevalence of obesity, starting with the highest.
Reception
Year 6
