Urgency needed to tackle childhood obesity

The National Audit Office has warned that it is not clear if government plans to tackle rising childhood obesity will be able to make the change needed in the timescale available.

In 2018/19, 9.7 per cent of four-to five-year-olds and 20.2 per cent of 10-to 11-year-olds in England were obese. Research indicates that children in deprived areas are twice as likely to be obese than those in less deprived areas, with the gap wider for the older age group.

The NAO also reports that obesity rates for children in different ethnic groups vary considerably, with just nine per cent of white children were classified as obese in 2018/19 at age four-to-five, compared with more than 15 per cent of black children. These rates increase to more than 18 per cent and nearly 29 per cent respectively by age 10-11.

The government estimates that the cost of obesity to the NHS is £6.1 billion and £27 billion to wider society.

The NAO recommends that by autumn 2021 ministers should introduce stronger procedures that allow the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) to hold other departments responsible for delivering their elements of the Childhood Obesity Programme. In the proposed spending review, the government should target support and funding to local authorities and groups who have the greater obesity problems. DHSC should also provide greater support to local authorities to help them implement efforts to reduce childhood obesity."

Gareth Davies, the head of the NAO, said: “Tackling childhood obesity is a major challenge, and one that governments have struggled with since the 2000s. It is clear that children living in deprived areas or from ethnic minorities are far more likely to be obese and the problem is worsening. Progress with the Childhood Obesity Programme has been slow and many commitments are not yet in place. The new strategy announced in July has signalled a greater intention to tackle obesity but the government will need to follow through with more urgency, commitment and cohesion if it is to address this severe risk to people’s health.”