Obesity rates among primary school children in England fell in 2022-23 although they remained above pre-pandemic levels for those aged 10 to 11, according to the latest official statistics.

NHS Digital’s National Child Measurement Programme report revealed obesity prevalence among four and five-year-olds in reception classes dropped from 10.1 per cent in 2021-22 to 9.2 per cent in 2022-23.

In 2020-21, obesity prevalence among four and five-year-olds was 14.4 per cent and the 2022-23 figure is also lower than in 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Obesity prevalence in year six children aged 10 to 11 fell from 23.4 per cent in 2021-22 to 22.7 per cent in 2022-23 but was still higher than in 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Boys had a higher obesity prevalence rate than girls in both age groups, with 9.3 per cent compared with nine per cent respectively in reception classes and 25.1 per cent compared with 20.1 per cent respectively in year six.

Most children in reception classes (77.5 per cent) and year six (61.9 per cent) had a healthy weight in 2022-23. More girls (78.1 per cent) than boys (77 per cent) in reception classes had a healthy weight and the gap was bigger in year six, with 64.2 per cent of girls compared with 59.6 per cent of boys showing a healthy weight.

The proportion of underweight year 6 children increased from 1.5 per cent in 2021-22 to 1.6 per cent in 2022-23 but underweight children in reception classes stayed the same at 1.2 per cent.

Deprivation was a significant factor in obesity prevalence, with 12.4 per cent of reception-aged children living in the most deprived areas, more than double the 5.8 per cent in the least deprived areas. There was 30.2 per cent obesity prevalence rate among year 6 children in the most deprived areas compared with 13.1 per cent in the least deprived areas.

In the most deprived parts of the country, the prevalence of severe obesity was over three times higher (3.8 per cent) compared with children living in the least deprived areas (1.2 per cent).  Severe obesity rates in year six children in the most deprived areas (9.2 per cent) was over four times higher than those in the least deprived areas (2.1 per cent).

The highest rates of reception age children living with obesity was in the North-East (11.3 per cent) and at its lowest in the South East (eight per cent), East of England (8.1 per cent) and South West (8.2 per cent).  

The North-East also had the highest rate of year six children living with obesity (25.8 per cent), followed by the West Midlands (25.2 per cent) and London (24.8 per cent) while the South West (19.4 per cent) and South East (19.4 per cent) had the lowest rates.