Other countries are streets ahead of the UK on childhood obesity. Here’s what they’re doing differently

‘Ultraprocessed foods often make up the bulk of school lunches, while at home, fast food and packaged options are often the cheapest choice for families.’ Photograph: Tom Viggars/Alamy

Despite health and fitness being more in vogue than ever, childhood obesity rates continue to rise. A new report from the World Obesity Federation warns that by 2040, the number of five- to 19-year-olds globally who are obese could increase from 180 million to 227 million. This is defined as a BMI of 30 or above – and is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and a number of other serious health conditions.

These trends are also clear in the UK, where overweight and obesity rates continue to increase in children. In England, the National Child Measurement Programme (which takes height and weight data in year 6 for 94.1% of all eligible children) for 2024-25 found that 36.2% of children aged 10-11 had a high BMI (more than 25), with children in the most deprived areas twice as likely to be obese, and projections indicating that in some areas, the majority of children would be at an unhealthy weight by 2035. The UK as a whole has twice the number of overweight and obese children as either France or Italy.