Child obesity in England still above pre-pandemic levels, study finds

Rates have fallen in younger children but remain higher in 10-to-11-year-olds in sign of lasting lockdown impact

Almost one in four children aged 10 and 11 in England are obese, according to the largest study of its kind – a finding that experts say exposes the “profound” and “alarming” long-term impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Obesity rates increased by 45% in four-to-five-year-olds and by 21% in 10-to-11-year-olds during the first year of lockdowns, the analysis involving more than 1 million children reveals.