Obesity rates in primary school children have seen a record increase during the pandemic.
More than a quarter of pupils in England are now clinically obese by the time they finish primary school.
Rates in reception class increased by almost half between 2019/20 and 2020/21 according to the National Child Measurement Programme
Rises in this age group as well as Year 6 were the highest annual increase since the programme was launched in 2006.
Among reception-aged children - those aged four and five - the rates of obesity rose from 9.9% in 2019/20 to 14.4% in 2020/21.
And among Year 6 pupils - those in their last year of primary school aged 10 and 11 - obesity prevalence increased from 21% in 2019/20 to 25.5% in 2020/21.
Caroline Cerny, lead at the Obesity Health Alliance, said: “There are several aspects of the pandemic that are likely to have contributed to this increase in child obesity levels.
“But it is very clear from data showing increases in sales of confectionery, biscuits and fast food that junk food companies used the opportunity to keep their unhealthy products centre stage in children’s minds.
“We need to break the junk food cycle to improve children’s health.
“We need the Government to take stronger action to improve everyday food and drink with a levy on food companies to incentivise them to improve.”
Childhood obesity rates are twice as high in the most deprived communities compared to the least.
David Fothergill, chair of the Local Government Association’s wellbeing board, said: “Childhood obesity is one of the greatest public health challenges we face, made all the more difficult by the impact of the pandemic on children’s activities and lifestyles.
“As these worrying figures show, there is still much to do to encourage healthier eating and habits if we are to avoid today’s obese children becoming tomorrow’s obese adults.
“Investment in councils’ public health services now will reap benefits for everyone longer-term, including for the NHS .”
The numbers
The proportion of children who were a healthy weight dropped between 2020/21 and 2019/20.
Among Year 6 pupils, 57.8% were deemed to be a healthy weight, down from 63.4% the year previously.
Among reception children, seven in 10 (71.3%) were classed as having a healthy weight, down from 76.1% the year previously.
The proportion of all children who were either overweight or obese was 27.7% in reception and 40.9% in Year 6.
It comes a day after NHS England announced that thousands of severely obese children will be sent to new ‘fat camps’.
Some 15 specialist clinics are being set up across England.
