Childhood obesity rise from Covid will cost UK at least £8.7 Billion

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Nearly 56,000 additional 10–11-year-olds developed overweight or obesity during the pandemic, with almost 17,000 developing severe obesity.

The Covid-19 pandemic triggered a spike in childhood overweight and obesity rates in England, with long-lasting economic implications.

Researchers estimate this surge will cost society at least £8.7 billion and the NHS £800 million over affected children's lifetimes.

The surge disproportionately affected children from the most deprived areas—they are now more than twice as likely to have obesity than children living in the least deprived areas.

While obesity rates for 4–5-year-olds have mostly returned to pre-pandemic levels, 10–11-year-olds continue to show elevated rates. Nearly 56,000 additional 10–11-year-olds developed overweight or obesity during the pandemic, with almost 17,000 developing severe obesity. This trend aligns with research indicating that weight-related behaviours become more challenging to reverse as children age.

The implications are serious, as children leaving primary school with obesity are at higher risk of maintaining obesity into adulthood and several weight-related health issues. These issues include type 2 diabetes, heart disease , and some types of cancer .

Researchers believe that efforts to curb the spread of the virus inadvertently contributed to a rise in obesity rates. Lockdown measures led to economic hardship, social isolation, and negatively impacted diets and physical activity levels.

This study analysed data from the National Childhood Measurement Programme which routinely collects height and weight measurements of primary school-aged children in England.

While fewer measurements were taken during Covid-affected years, researchers say the data remains representative. They stress that they can’t prove cause-and-effect, and note that different groups of children were measured each year.

This study underscores the need for comprehensive, policy-level interventions to address the long-term health and economic consequences of pandemic-induced childhood obesity. With nearly 10% of reception children and 20% of Year 6s currently living with obesity, researchers warn targeted efforts are crucial to reverse this trend and avoid lifelong costs.