More than 6,000 children living with obesity, including hundreds as young as four, have required treatment at specialist NHS weight-loss clinics, new figures reveal. NHS England data, published for the first time, shows that since the first Complications from Excess Weight (CEW) clinic opened in 2021, 6,497 children and teenagers have been treated.
Of these, 423 were four years old, 1,088 were aged between five and eight, 1,791 were aged nine to 12, and 3,137 were aged between 13 and 17. The age of a further 58 is unknown. All were “extremely” overweight for their age, with the four-year-olds weighing an average of 33kg (5st 3lbs) – the same weight as a typical 10-year-old. Around 400 of the children treated have received weight-loss jabs as part of their treatment plans.
New analysis of just under 6,000 children treated by CEW clinics, due to be presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, found that 17% had high blood pressure and a similar number had abnormal fat levels in their blood, while 6% had type 2 diabetes. The research, by Sheffield Hallam University, Leeds Beckett University, the University of Leeds, the University of Bristol and the University of Sheffield, also found that just under 30% had metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and 17% had obstructive sleep apnoea. About 9% had deliberately self-harmed, with the same proportion experiencing anxiety. A significant number were neurodivergent: just under 30% had autism, around 12% had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and 24% had a learning disability.
Experts said the figures were extremely worrying and called for immediate action to curb sales of junk food and make healthier food cheaper. Katharine Jenner, executive director at the Obesity Health Alliance, said: “These figures should be a wake-up call. All parents want their children to grow up healthy, yet seeing children as young as four needing specialist NHS treatment for their weight highlights just how early the drivers of poor health are taking hold.” Dr Helen Stewart, officer for health improvement at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, added: “It’s extremely concerning that we are seeing more and more children being treated at CEW clinics.”
Further analysis presented at the conference shows that children treated at the 39 CEWs in England were on average 10kg lighter two years later than those who only saw their GP or community health teams. The clinics provide tailored care, including diet plans, mental health support and coaching, and have prescribed weight-loss jabs to hundreds of children aged 11 or over. Prof Simon Kenny, national clinical director for children and young people at NHS England, 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.”
People who have obesity as children are more likely to have the disease as adults, increasing their risk of developing serious health conditions early, including heart disease, cancers and respiratory illness. The new figures underline the scale of the childhood obesity crisis in England.
