Children as young as four have been sent to NHS weight loss clinics as part of a nationwide scheme to tackle severe obesity.
More than 6,000 children and young people with severe obesity have been referred to NHS England’s Complications from Excess Weight (CEW) clinics for children since the initiative started in 2021.
The latest date shows that over the past five years, 6,497 patients were treated at CEW clinics set up so people can lose weight and receive treatment for health complications related to obesity.
Of this group, 423 were four years old and younger, while 1,088 were aged between five and eight. There were 1,791 children aged 9-12, while 13-17-year-olds made up the majority, with 3,137.
Thirty-nine clinics were set up in 2021 as part of the initiative to tackle childhood obesity. Children were referred by a community paediatrician or GP if they had a body-mass index above the 99.6 percentile. Four-year-olds weighing an average of 33kg – the same weight as a typical 10-year-old – were referred to the clinic.
They were provided with bespoke care packages of diet plans, mental health support and coaching. Around 400 children were administered weight loss jabs as part of treatment.
A number of the children referred were diagnosed with liver disease, hypertension, sleep apnoea and type two diabetes.
The figures were released for the first time since the clinics were set up as university researchers attended the European Congress on Obesity on Tuesday to give a presentation about the NHS programme.
Dr Cath Homer, associate professor in obesity and public health at Sheffield Hallam University and co-lead of the study evaluating the service, said: “Severe childhood obesity remains a major public health challenge in England, affecting approximately 15 per cent of children aged between 2 and 15. Living with severe obesity during childhood and adolescence carries the risk that it will persist into adulthood, which would lead to an increased risk of many other serious health issues, including early onset cardiometabolic, respiratory, neurological and psychosocial problems, reducing people’s quality of life and life expectancy.
“The increasing prevalence of severe obesity and its complications amongst children and young people, is fuelling rising demand for specialist support and treatment that goes beyond traditional community-based weight management services, and our research suggests that CEW services are an effective way to support patients for better health and weight management.”
Professor Simon Kenny, NHS England’s national clinical director for children and young people, said: “Severe obesity can impact all aspects of a child’s life – affecting their physical health, mental wellbeing and confidence – so it is fantastic that NHS CEW clinics are helping thousands of children and young people turn their lives around.
“These specialist clinics support children to lose weight safely and build healthier long-term habits through tailored care from expert NHS teams.
“In some cases, these clinics are helping children who could otherwise face a life cut tragically short – dying decades too soon – to look ahead to a full and healthy life.
“Childhood obesity remains one of the biggest public health challenges facing the country, and the NHS is committed to stepping in early to help prevent serious long-term health complications.”
Research found that those using the clinic were able to maintain more weight loss over time when compared to patients who can only access support through separate community and general practice services. The clinics also found success in reaching children from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.
More than a quarter of children aged two to 15 were either overweight or living with obesity in 2024, according to an NHS health survey released in January this year. Research has found that a child living with severe obesity aged four who doesn’t lose weight has a life expectancy of just 39.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Every child deserves the best possible start in life, which is why this government is taking decisive action to tackle childhood obesity.
“We are restricting junk food advertising on television before 9pm and at all times online – a move expected to remove up to 7.2 billion calories per year from children’s diets – while giving local authorities stronger powers to stop new fast-food shops opening near schools.
“Through our 10 Year Health Plan, we’re shifting the focus from sickness to prevention to create a healthier nation.”
Who is Hungary’s dancing health minister who spent 10 years in the NHS?
Scientists rename Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in bid to halt delayed diagnoses
Pudsey Bear finds voice for Children In Need’s mental health campaign
Doctors share the best time of day to poop
Trump aid cuts help push Gaza’s struggling mothers to the brink
What is hantavirus? Symptoms and how it is different from Covid
