Obesity among children under 11

Abstract

• This report presents key information about obesity among children aged under 11 living in England, based on data from the Health Survey for England. It is intended to support the development of an evidence-based approach to prevention, management and treatment of obesity in children. • Between 1995 and 2003, the prevalence of obesity among children aged 2 to 10 rose from 9.9% to 13.7%. • The percentage of children aged 2 to 10 who were overweight (including those who were obese) rose from 22.7% in 1995 to 27.7% in 2003. • Overall, levels of obesity were similar for both boys and girls aged 2 to 10. For boys, obesity rose from 9.6% in 1995 to 14.9% in 2003, for girls obesity rose from 10.3% in 1995 to 12.5% in 2003. • Between 1995 and 2003, levels of obesity rose among children aged 2 to 10. However, increases in obesity prevalence were most significant among older children aged 8 to 10, rising from 11.2% in 1995 to 16.5% in 2003. • Obesity prevalence among children aged 2 to 10 varied according to region and area type. Obesity levels were lowest in Yorkshire and the Humber (11.4%) and the South East (13.4%) and highest in the North East (18.3%) and London (18.2%) in 2001 and 2002. Furthermore, obesity was higher among children living in inner city areas than among children living in all other types of area. • In 2001 and 2002, levels of obesity for children aged 2 to 10 differed between various socio-demographic groups. For example, children living within households with the lowest levels of household income had higher rates of obesity than children from households with the highest levels of household income (15.8% compared with 13.3%). The same pattern was evident within different levels of area deprivation. Levels of obesity were 5 percentage points higher among children living within the most deprived areas (16.4%) than the least deprived areas (11.2%). Within socio-economic group (analysed using the National Statistics Social-Economic Classification, a classification similar to social class), 17.1% of children within semi-routine and routine households were obese compared with 12.4% of those from managerial and professional households. • 19.8% of children living in households where both parents were either overweight or obese were themselves obese compared with 6.7% of children living in households where neither parents were overweight or obese and 8.4% of children living in households where one of the two parents was overweight or obese. • This report uses the UK National Body Mass Index (BMI) percentile classification to describe childhood overweight and obesity among children aged 2-10. Explanation of this measure and details of how obesity and overweight are categorised are given in the technical annex of this report.