Soaring Childhood Obesity After COVID-19 Lockdowns Poses Lifelong Health Threat: Study

Children eating their lunch in the canteen at Royal High School Bath in Bath, England, on Nov. 29, 2023. (PA)

Children who developed health problems related to obesity during COVID-19 lockdowns face “lifelong health consequences,” researchers have warned.

Obesity levels among children aged 10 and 11 in England have rocketed between 2019 and 2021 and have not returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to new research.

During this period, most children were home schooled owing to school closures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. This had a profound impact on children’s health, a study by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Southampton Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and University of Southampton showed.

Researchers analysed health data of over a million children in England and reported that obesity rose by 45 percent in reception-aged pupils between 2019–2020 and 2020–2021.

By 2022, the number of 4- and 5-year-olds living with obesity had returned to pre-pandemic levels.

However, in year 6 schoolchildren, aged 10 and 11, the obesity prevalence remained higher than expected, with more than one in five children living with obesity in England.

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As a result of lockdown restrictions, children were affected by a change in eating habits, activity levels, sleeping schedules, and screen time. In this setting, an environment “conducive to obesity” was created, according to research published last year.

The BRC study measured the body mass index of children in reception and year 6 across England. It warned that while at a younger age, the weight gain might be reversible, for older children it was likely to be more entrenched.

Growing up with weight problems can increase the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancer, researchers cautioned.

Co-author of the study, Professor Mark Hanson, said that once established, obesity has proven to be difficult to reverse. He warned that “60–85 percent of children with obesity remain obese in adulthood, increasing their risks of future ill health.”

“Our finding of a rapid return to pre-pandemic levels of overweight and obesity in the youngest children suggests new policies should target under-fives. This is likely to be an effective means of tackling the growing problem of childhood obesity,” said Mr. Hanson.

Researchers pointed to the importance of promoting healthy behaviours in early life, such as healthy diet, physical activity, and sleep.

Cost to Society

A generation of children with obesity problems could be costly to society as they grow up, the study said, with the prevalence of the condition in children aged 10 and 11 alone costing the NHS £800 million.

Obesity can reduce people’s productivity and quality of life and eventually impact wider society, researchers pointed out.

“Our projection that this will result in over £8.7 billion in additional healthcare, economic and wider social costs is hugely concerning,” said Professor Keith Godfrey from NIHR Southampton BRC and the University of Southampton.

He called for “more radical new policy measures” to tackle the problem.

The government also needs to bridge the divide between children who live in the most deprived and the least deprived areas of the country, the study said.

“Obesity rates disproportionately affect children living in deprived communities—and the gap between the most and least deprived groups has widened over the past 10 years,” said study co-author, Professor Neena Modi from Imperial College London.

Measures

The British Nutrition Foundation last year recommended that schools consider including breakfast provision as part of a whole school approach to healthy eating. This will help reduce the number of schoolchildren, especially from low-income households, regularly missing out on breakfast, the foundation said.

A measure to tackle child obesity was put in place in 2017 by London authorities. It banned fast-food takeaways opening within 400 metres of schools.

The government also introduced new regulations in 2022, restricting the promotion of food and drink that is high in fat, salt, and sugar. As a result, businesses were required to phase out their offering of multi-buy promotions such as “buy one get one free” or “three for two” offers on products high in fat, sugar, and salt.

The measure was contested by some food companies and campaign groups that argued that “the government’s obesity strategy leaves slim pickings for struggling families who rely on affordable meals to put food on the table.”

Additionally, the Department for Health and Social Care now requires labelling on pre-packed foods to set out a variety of information to aid shoppers, including a list of ingredients and nutritional data.