Childhood Obesity

Key findings (Published December 2018)

• Obesity is a complex issue. The solutions are also likely to be complex and involve multiple partners and components

• Obesity is strongly associated with deprivation; obesity is more prevalent in areas of high deprivation

• Prevention is the most viable approach to tackling obesity because once established, it is a notoriously difficult condition to reverse

• Obese children are highly likely to become obese adults

• Obesity is associated with a wide range of negative emotional and physical consequences and not only affects individuals, obesity also has wider societal effects

• Obesity rates almost double in Wirral school children between reception and year 6 (this is also true nationally and regionally) from 10.8% of children, to 20.6% of children

• This means that at age 4/5, one in ten Wirral children are obese. By the age of 10/11, one in five are obese

• The prevalence of unhealthy weight in both reception and year 6 aged children is (despite some fluctuation) increasing over time

• Of the 5 ‘clusters’ of Wirral schools, Birkenhead South has the highest prevalence of obesity (25% or one in four of year 6 children and 13% or one in eight of reception aged children)

• Birkenhead North and Wallasey Clusters were also above the Wirral averages for the proportion of obese children. Bebington and Deeside were below the Wirral average

• Those schools with obesity prevalence above the Wirral average would be the most appropriate locations for interventions aimed at promoting healthy weight

• Special schools (because their pupil roll contains children with physical and/or learning disability) are nationally acknowledged as having large proportions of obesity and overweight. Wirral follows this national trend

• Wirral mirrors national trends for higher levels of obesity in areas of high deprivation (in both adults and children)

• Broadly speaking, obesity prevalence is decreasing or stable in the most affluent children, but continuing to increase in the most deprived children

• In year 6 children, the prevalence of obesity in the most deprived quintile (20%) of the population is almost double that in the least deprived (or most affluent) quintile

• Trend data shows that the inequalities in obesity prevalence in Wirral are increasing

• Boys in Wirral had higher rates of unhealthy weight than girls in both reception and year 6

• Boys in year 6 have consistently been more likely to be an unhealthy weight compared to girls in year 6 (with the exception in 2016/17 when girls overtook boys briefly) since the NCMP program began in 2006/07

• Boys in reception have also mostly been more likely than girls to be an unhealthy weight (except in 2012/13 and 2016/17 when girls had higher rates)

• Local data mirrors national trends which shows that Black/Black British children are the most likely to be an unhealthy weight at both reception and year 6

• Asian children were the least likely to be obese in reception. Mixed Race children were least likely to be obese in year 6

• Promoting healthy weight in children, young people and families should be the priority for Wirral Partners

• For Wirral a collaborative, whole systems approach to preventing obesity, is likely to be more effective when promoting healthy weight in children, young people and families rather than single interventions on their own

• Evidence of what works in preventing obesity in the crucial early 0-2 years of age period is currently lacking thus limiting properly understood interventions.

• There appears to be a trend for girls becoming more likely to be an unhealthy weight over time, while unhealthy weight in boys appears to be stabilising or reducing slightly. If the trend continues, girls may overtake boys with higher rates of overweight in both reception and year 6

Childhood Obesity JSNA (December 2018)

Local Information

Also review content on

• Adult Obesity 

• Children & Young People: JSNA 2018

• Local Health Profile (Wirral)

• Special Educational Needs and Disability

• Maternity and Early Years

• Long Term Conditions

• Indices of Deprivation 

• Diabetes

• Cardiovascular Disease

• Compendium of Statistics

Further Information