Childhood Obesity in England Reaches Highest Level Since Pandemic, New Data Reveal

Key Takeaways: 

• One in ten children aged four to five in England are living with obesity, the highest rate since the COVID-19 pandemic.
  
• Teachers warn that poverty, limited access to nutritious food, and cuts to school sport funding are fuelling the crisis.
  
• Nearly all teachers agree that healthy eating improves pupil focus, energy, and behaviour, yet many report children arriving at school hungry.
  
  
  

Childhood obesity at record levels outside pandemic years

Newly released data from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) show that 10.5% of children aged four to five (Reception year) in England are living with obesity – the highest prevalence recorded outside of the pandemic period.

The NCMP, which annually measures the height and weight of primary school pupils, also found that more than one in five pupils in Year 6 (aged 10–11) are living with obesity. The findings indicate that boys are more likely to be overweight or obese than girls.

In Reception year, 13% of children were classified as overweight, meaning that almost one in four children in this age group are either overweight or living with obesity.

Excluding the sharp increase seen during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, these figures represent the highest obesity prevalence in Reception year since records began in 2006–07 and mark a rise from 9.6% in 2023–24.

Schools feeling the strain

Lee Parkinson MBE, a primary school teacher from Manchester, said that systemic factors and funding cuts have worsened the situation.

“After the 2012 Olympics, school sport funding was cut, and the promise to ‘inspire a generation’ faded fast due to austerity measures,” he explained.

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

“Schools play their part through PE and lessons about healthy lifestyles, but they cannot 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.”

The link between nutrition, learning, and behaviour

A related report on children’s nutrition found that 94% of teachers believe healthy eating improves children’s behaviour. Teachers observed that better nutrition had tangible effects on classroom dynamics – with pupils demonstrating sharper focus, more energy, and improved behaviour.

The report underscored that nutritious food at school is not only essential for health and wellbeing but also for learning outcomes.

Hunger and food insecurity

Research from the Trussell Trust highlighted that around 9.3 million people in the UK, including three million children, experience food insecurity. Currently, one in four children under the age of five are at risk of needing to use a food bank.

Mr Parkinson reflected on the impact of poverty on pupils’ concentration: “Obviously with the poverty element, if children are coming into school hungry it will make it harder for them to concentrate.”

This problem is often exacerbated during school holidays, when free school meals are unavailable. Last summer, one in 12 parents reported that their children had to miss meals due to financial difficulties.

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

Teachers filling the gap

The majority of teachers (88%) said they had witnessed children arriving at school hungry, with 66% reporting that they had brought in food from home or purchased healthy food for pupils themselves.

Nearly all teachers surveyed (98%) agreed that nutrition forms a vital foundation for learning. However, 83% said it can be challenging to inspire children to make healthy eating choices, particularly when access to nutritious food is inconsistent outside of school.

Measuring the scale

In total, 1.1 million children across state-maintained schools were measured as part of the NCMP data collection for 2024–25.

Public health experts warn that the findings underline an urgent need for coordinated national action to address the intertwined challenges of obesity, poverty, and food insecurity among children in England.