Experts have warned childhood obesity is “heading in the wrong direction” with the majority of children expected to be overweight or obese in nine UK council areas in the next decade.
The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) has estimated 41 per cent of year six students will be overweight or obese by 2035, with 90 per cent of the country set to see rates worsen.
Analysis seen by The Guardian also shows that, for the first time since records began, more than 50 per cent of children in nine regions will be overweight or obese.
“As a nation we’re failing the test on childhood obesity,” William Roberts, Chief Executive of RSPH said.
“Our projections show that we are heading in the wrong direction on obesity, with children in some of the most deprived areas set to be worst affected.”
The RSPH’s new report is based off modelling of data from the government’s national child measurement programme which covers mainstream state-maintained schools.
Data shows child obesity in primary school leavers was 36 per cent in 2023-2024. But the RSPH has warned this could rise sharply to 41 per cent in the coming years after analysing data from the programme from 2009 onwards.
The report has also found that rates of overweight children are expected to rise in 136 of 151 local authority areas in the next ten years.
The nine worst affected areas are predicted to see rates rise above 50 per cent by 2035, meaning the majority of children aged 10 to 11 in these areas will be overweight of obese.
According to The Guardian, the highest rate could be seen in Blackpool, where 54 per cent of children are predicted to be overweight or obese in ten years.
Knowsley, Sandwell, Barking and Dagenham are all expected to see a rate of 52 per cent, while 51 per cent of children in Wolverhampton, Walsall and Newham are predicted to be overweight.
Luton and Nottingham have a 50 per cent predicted rate of children being obese or overweight.
The report, called Playground Rules, calls for the new Ofsted inspection framework to highlight the work schools do to promote wellbeing and physical activity.
It also recommends that PE should be revised to encourage a specific focus on increasing physical activity across the school day, rather than the narrow confines of PE lessons.
The report also advises that the government publish a national Youth Physical Activity strategy, setting out what is expected from both schools and other parts of the public sector.
Mr Roberts said: “The habits we form as children last a lifetime. Making physical activity the default in schools will go along away in helping to build a healthier future. Rather than seeing physical activity as something that happens for two hours a week in PE, we need to see it as an integral part of the whole curriculum. ”
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