Delivering subject content through nine life themes
A new study has found that childhood obesity is “soaring” following the pandemic and is set to cost the UK more than £8 billion – a figure the study’s authors describe as the potential cost of inaction on obesity. They warn of lifelong health consequences for tens of thousands of children, such as increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and strokes, because most overweight children will become overweight adults. The researchers’ call for more action to improve children’s health at an early age echoes the thinking behind Life-Based Learning. Analysis after analysis, data dashboard after data dashboard, projection after projection, provides compelling evidence that, when it comes to obesity – and health and wellbeing more generally – we are sleepwalking towards disaster in the coming decades.
This latest research shows that childhood obesity levels rocketed between 2019–20 and 2020–21. For example, it rose by 45% in reception pupils (children aged four and five). The number of children in this category who are overweight has since returned to pre-pandemic levels, suggesting that weight gain might be relatively easily reversible at this age.
But in the same period the proportion of overweight and obese year 6 children went from 35.2% to 40.9%, with people from deprived areas disproportionately affected. The number of children in this category who are overweight and obese has also since come down, but overweight and obesity prevalence in children aged ten and eleven remains higher than expected, representing almost 56,000 extra children.
Changes in eating habits and activity levels, prolonged absence from school and the unavailability of organised sports and recreational activities during the pandemic are cited as reasons for the increase in obesity levels.
Researchers used data drawn from the National Childhood Measurement Programme (NCMP). The report measures the body mass index (BMI) of children in reception and year six each year.
They projected the impact of child BMI trends on adult health measures to estimate costs to society. They found that the increase in overweight and obesity prevalence in ten- and eleven-year-olds alone could cost the NHS £800 million. The cost to wider society could be at least £8.7 billion, a figure that includes costs relating to reduced productivity and quality of life.
Professor Keith Godfrey from the University of Southampton was one of the study’s authors. He called for “radical new policy measures” to help reduce obesity and secure wellbeing and prosperity for the country as a whole.
The report recommends promoting healthy behaviours in early life to help prevent obesity. It cites the work of Early LifeLab in Southampton, which is helping to tackle obesity among primary school children by using a series of ‘teaching toolkits’ to make the science behind the need for healthy diet, physical activity and sleep accessible to young children. Dr Kath Woods-Townsend, programme lead for Early LifeLab, was a co-author of the paper:
These findings show the importance of establishing healthy behaviours from an early age. We show children and young people how the choices they make and the habits they form can affect their health in later life. This gives them the knowledge and skills they need to make positive changes.
Dr Kath Woods-Townsend, programme lead for Early LifeLab
Life-Based Learning (LBL) is an approach to education and development for children and young people in which the life challenges that we all face, now and in the future, become the focus of a fully rounded, life-based approach to learning. LBL is predicated on the idea that we cannot simply carry on as we are – not least in relation to health and wellbeing.
LBL recognises the importance of children developing habits and a healthy mindset that they will carry with them into adult life. It emphasises participation in sport, physical activity and outdoor play to help children grow up physically and mentally healthy. The corollary is that we need to tackle whatever obstacles, attitudes and biases are directly causing or contributing to a reduction in participation levels. It also emphasises the importance of high-quality food education for children from an early age, helping them develop healthy eating habits.
We need to empower individuals and we need to harness the power, the moral authority and the immense resources of the state. These are not mutually exclusive. We need to do both. Click the links below to read more about action on obesity and so-called ‘nanny statism’.
Image at the head of this article by David Cortez from Pixabay.
