1 in 5 UK children aged 10-11 are obese
The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) figures for 2013/14, show that 19.1% of children in Year 6 (aged 10-11) were obese and a further 14.4% were overweight. Obese children and adolescents are at an increased risk of developing various health problems—such as asthma, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes (as well as low self-esteem and depression)—and are also more likely to become obese adults.
- 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 child obesity.
- In addition to showing that 19.1% of children in Year 6 (aged 10-11) were obese and a further 14.4% were overweight, the figures for 2013/14 show that 9.5% of children in Reception (aged 4-5), were obese and another 13.1% were overweight (meaning that a third of 10-11 year olds and over a fifth of 4-5 year olds were overweight or obese. [1], [2]
- Results from the 2012 Health Survey for England (HSE)—which includes a smaller sample of children than the NCMP but covers a wider age range—show that around 28% of children aged 2 to 15 were classed as either overweight or obese. [1]
