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The government has said it “won’t look away” as newly released figures show obesity in children aged 4-5 years has reached its highest level since measurements began in 2006-07. 

Data from over 1.1 million children measured across state-maintained schools in England during the academic year 2024/25 show that whilst the majority of children remain a healthy weight (75.4 per cent in reception, age 4-5 years, and 62.2 per cent in year 6, age 10-11 years), 10.5 per cent of children in reception and 22.2 per cent of year 6 children are living with obesity.

The figures cover the period before the government's current raft of public health interventions have taken effect. Measures include restrictions on junk food advertising and high-caffeine energy drinks, expanded free school meals and the universal free breakfast clubs.

Children from black ethnic groups are more likely to be living with obesity, whilst obesity prevalence is more than double in the most deprived areas compared to the least deprived (14.0 per cent versus 6.9 per cent in reception and 29.3 per cent versus 13.5 per cent in year 6), and this deprivation gap has widened since the programme began.