North East has worst numbers for child obesity
New analysis has found that the North East has the worst levels of childhood obesity in the country, as “crushing” poverty hampers parents’ ability to provide healthy meals.
A report published by Health Equity North on behalf of the Child of the North All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) warns that food insecurity is rising across the country – and that children’s health in deprived areas across the North is suffering as a result.
Food insecurity in households with children in the North rose 5.5% between 2019/20 and 2022/23, meaning that more families are unable to access enough affordable, nutritious, healthy food. In the South of England, however, there was only a 3.8% rise.
The report highlights how 24.5% of Year 6 age children in the North East, almost one in four, are living with obesity – the highest prevalence in the country.
Penny Walters, an ambassador for the Newcastle-based Food Foundation, said that food insecurity “is not about poor choices – it is about a lack of choices” and has urged the Government to combat the issues through measures such as ending the two-child benefit cap, auto-enrolling families in every part of the country for free school meals, and providing better-funded community hubs for advice and support.
She added: “Food insecurity has been a persistent reality for my family, shaped largely by inadequate welfare policies and the rising cost of living. Over the years, the support we’ve received simply hasn’t kept pace with inflation. Benefits have been cut or frozen, while food prices, rent, fuel, and basic household items have continued to rise sharply. As a result, accessing healthy and nutritious food has become increasingly difficult.
“Cooking from scratch is often presented as a solution, but it requires more than ingredients – it requires fuel, appropriate kitchen equipment, and knowledge. When even one of those elements is missing, families are left without real options.”
The report also advocates for stricter limits on the opening of fast food outlets near schools or in the most deprived areas, expanding access to affordable healthy food, and restoring investment to Sure Start centres.
South Shields MP Emma Lewell, chair of the APPG, said: “Every child should be able to have a healthy life, with access to good, nutritious food choices. However, far too many families in the North are confronted with hard choices every day due to poverty and increasing costs. This is affecting our children’s health at a crucial time for their development, and often leads to other issues such as obesity.
“We have an opportunity to make a difference for these families. But we can only do so if we take decisive action to address the root causes, and provide a well-supported safety net for those who are struggling.”
The findings show that 66.4% of people in the North East now live within 1km of a fast food outlet – a number that has more than doubled since 2016.
Our region also has the highest level of maternal obesity, 27.1%, and the highest proportion of pregnant women with preconception diabetes.
Hannah Davies, executive director of Health Equity North, said: “For too long, families in the North have talked about the heartbreaking decisions they must make due to rising poverty, from making do with less to skipping meals entirely. The work of partnerships such as Child of the North is to shout loudly and unrelentingly about these issues, so that they are not forgotten when decision-makers gather to agree policies for the country.
“This report demonstrates that there is still so much more to be done. The crushing poverty which is felt unequally in the North has a direct impact on other childhood issues such as obesity, which in turn has worrying impacts in adulthood. Instead of shaming and blaming families, it is time we commit as a country to actively help them.
“We need to urgently reframe our approach, by implementing a range of issues that are designed to offer families support with dignity. This includes ensuring that they have access to welfare benefits and support that are fit for purpose, as well as the community help, advice and initiatives that give them a real opportunity to live better, healthier lives.”