Collating evidence on obesity prevalence and trends at national and local level for adults and children

In England, the National Child Measurement Programme (1, (2) and the Health Survey for England (3) monitor body weight for children and adults, respectively. The Obesity Profile tool presents the latest available data to help understand and monitor the patterns and trends in obesity at national, regional and local levels for adults and children (1).

The National Child Measurement Programme

The National Child Measurement Programme is a nationally mandated public health programme established as a part of the government’s approach to addressing child obesity.

The purpose of the programme is to provide robust public health surveillance on child weight status in order to:

• understand and monitor obesity prevalence and trends at national and local levels
• inform childhood obesity planning and commissioning
• underpin the Public Health Outcomes Framework indicators on excess weight in 4 to 5-year olds and 10 to 11-year olds

Through the programme each year, children are measured in reception year (age 4 to 5 years) and year 6 (age 10 to 11 years) in mainstream state-maintained schools in England.

The National Child Measurement Programme can provide local data to strengthen development plans, such as including the adoption of exclusion zones for less healthy food uses around schools as a material consideration.

Health Survey for England

The Health Survey for England monitors trends in the nation’s health and care. It provides information about adults age 16 and over, and children under 16 years old.

The detailed reports with supporting Excel tables can be found at the bottom of this page and comprise the following topics:

• Overweight and obesity in adults and children
• Asthma
• Adults’ health-related behaviours (includes smoking, alcohol, fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity and gambling)
• Longstanding conditions
• Adults’ health (including diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol)
• Children’s health (includes smoking, alcohol, and fruit and vegetable consumption)
• Social care in older adults

Whilst the Health Survey for England collects data on childhood levels of overweight and obesity, it uses a much smaller sample than the National Childhood Measurement Programme.

Further information on UK population level diet, nutrient intake and nutritional status can be found within National Diet and Nutrition Survey reports (4)