2025/26 National Child Measurement Programme data: Food Active response

05 Nov 2026 2025/26 National Child Measurement Programme data: Food Active response

The latest figures from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) are a stark reminder that childhood obesity remains a pressing public health issue.

Despite the efforts of local government and communities across the country, and a set of policy measures on the table that could make a difference, the latest data shows that national action is still falling short of what is needed to give every child the opportunity to grow up healthy.

Key findings:

• Obesity in reception-aged children has increased: 10.7% of children in reception (aged 4–5) were living with obesity, compared with 10.5% in 2024/25. This is the highest prevalence recorded since the NCMP began in 2006/07, excluding the pandemic peak in 2020/21.
• Obesity in Year 6 pupils continues to rise: 22.8% of children in year 6 (aged 10–11) were living with obesity, compared with 22.2% in 2024/25.
• Persistent health inequalities remain: Children living in the most deprived areas were more than twice as likely to be living with obesity than those in the least deprived areas (14.2% compared with 6.9% in reception, and 30.3% compared with 13.9% in year 6).
• Ethnic disparities: The highest obesity prevalence in year 6 was among children from Black Caribbean (31.1%), other Black (30.7%) and Black African (30.3%) ethnic backgrounds.
• Severe obesity remains a concern: affecting 3% of reception-age children and 5.9% of Year 6 pupils.

We see first-hand the excellent work being delivered by local authorities to improve children’s health and create healthier communities. However, local authorities cannot tackle childhood obesity alone. They are working against a wider food environment in which less healthy products are heavily marketed, widely available and cheaper than healthy, fresh produce. The latest NCMP figures reinforce the need for government to address the commercial, social and environmental drivers of childhood obesity, rather than placing responsibility solely on individuals and families.

Local authorities are showing what is possible, but they cannot be expected to solve a national problem with local solutions alone. If the Government is serious about giving every child the best start in life, it must match local ambition with national leadership, stronger policies and sustained investment.

Food Active Programme Lead, Nicola Calder, said:

“The latest NCMP figures show that we cannot afford to stand still on childhood obesity. We know what needs to change, and there are evidence-based policies already on the table that could make a real difference, yet too many are still waiting to be fully delivered.

Local authorities are working hard to create healthier environments for children and families, but their efforts need to be matched by stronger national action. Government must be prepared to go further, including requiring large food businesses to take greater responsibility for the healthiness of the products they sell, strengthening restrictions on  less healthy food marketing and making nutritious food more affordable and accessible.

We need to shift the balance so that healthier choices become the easier choices for every household. Without a much stronger commitment to improving the wider food environment and the inequalities that shape children’s health, we risk letting another generation down.”

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