{"id":12634,"date":"2026-03-04T15:50:35","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T15:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/expertcomment\/?p=12634"},"modified":"2026-03-04T15:50:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T15:50:36","slug":"why-we-need-to-build-healthy-futures-and-talk-about-childhood-obesity-together","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/expertcomment\/why-we-need-to-build-healthy-futures-and-talk-about-childhood-obesity-together\/","title":{"rendered":"Why we need to build healthy futures and talk about childhood obesity together"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em><strong>As the UK marks World Obesity Day on 4 March 2026, Professor Kristy Howells explores the growing challenge of childhood obesity and argues that recognising obesity as a chronic disease is essential to improving health outcomes for the next generation.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The infographic &#8220;Building Healthy Futures: Tackling Childhood Obesity Together&#8221; (image below) presents a stark visual narrative of a growing public health crisis in the UK. By integrating the data from the 2024-2025 National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP)and expert evidence, it becomes clear that obesity is not merely a lifestyle choice but a chronic, complex disease that requires immediate formal recognition and systemic intervention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The scale of the crisis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The evidence from the NCMP highlights a disturbing trajectory. In England, 1 in 4 children in Year 6 (aged 10-11) are now living with obesity, a figure that has nearly doubled over the last thirty years. Even more concerning is the &#8220;deprivation gap&#8221;: children in the most deprived areas are more than twice as likely to live with obesity compared to those in the least deprived areas (29.3% vs 13.5%). This isn&#8217;t a failure of willpower; it is a symptom of an environment where unhealthy, ultra-processed foods are often the most affordable and accessible options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The devastating health impact<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As shown in the &#8220;Impact of Obesity&#8221; section of the infographic, the consequences are both immediate and long-term:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Physical health: we are seeing an earlier onset of cardiovascular risks, joint stress, and Type 2 diabetes, conditions that were once reserved for adulthood. Severe obesity increases the risk of premature mortality, with some studies suggesting a three-fold increase in mortality rates before the age of 30.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mental wellbeing: the &#8220;hidden&#8221; impact is equally devastating. Children living with obesity frequently face weight-based bullying, leading to low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Long-term risks: a child living with obesity is approximately five times more likely to remain obese as an adult, entrenching a cycle of chronic illness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Economic and societal costs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The financial burden on the NHS is unsustainable. Current estimates suggest that obesity and overweight-related conditions cost the UK economy roughly \u00a3126 billion annually, with direct NHS treatment costs exceeding \u00a312 billion. For children specifically, weight-related health problems are estimated to cost the NHS hundreds of millions each year. Formal recognition of obesity as a disease would shift the focus from expensive, late-stage crisis management to proactive, preventative care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A call for action: movement and nutrition<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The infographic\u2019s &#8220;Encouraging Movement&#8221; and &#8220;Guidance on Food&#8221; pillars provide a roadmap for change. We must move beyond simple &#8220;eat less, move more&#8221; mantras to create healthier environments:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>More movement: children need at least 60 minutes of daily activity. This requires safe active transport (cycling\/walking to school), structured play, and &#8220;free choice&#8221; movement that fosters a sense of belonging and physical literacy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Better nutrition: guidance must focus on whole foods and hydration while limiting sugary snacks. The government\u2019s recent restrictions on junk food advertising before 9 pm and &#8220;buy one get one free&#8221; deals are vital steps toward removing billions of &#8220;stealth calories&#8221; from children&#8217;s diets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Now is the time<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The message at the bottom of the infographic is the most critical: &#8220;Now is the time in the UK to formally recognise obesity as a chronic disease that impacts children.&#8221; Formal recognition would dismantle the stigma that prevents families from seeking help and would mandate the long-term funding needed for specialist clinics and school-based prevention. We cannot &#8220;look away&#8221; as another generation faces a lifetime of preventable illness. By supporting policy change and promoting healthier environments today, we can protect the wellbeing of the UK\u2019s children for tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"941\" height=\"525\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/expertcomment\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/437\/2026\/03\/Building-healthy-futures-tackling-childhood-obesity-togther-NHS-UK.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12638\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/expertcomment\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/437\/2026\/03\/Building-healthy-futures-tackling-childhood-obesity-togther-NHS-UK.png 941w, https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/expertcomment\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/437\/2026\/03\/Building-healthy-futures-tackling-childhood-obesity-togther-NHS-UK-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/expertcomment\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/437\/2026\/03\/Building-healthy-futures-tackling-childhood-obesity-togther-NHS-UK-768x428.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 941px) 100vw, 941px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Kristy Howells is Professor of Children\u2019s Health and Movement in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.canterbury.ac.uk\/about-us\/our-schools\/school-of-sciences-psychology-arts-humanities-computing-engineering-sports\" title=\"\">School of Sciences, Psychology, Arts and Humanities, Computer Engineering, and Sports<\/a>. For more information on her research, or if you\u2019re interested in undertaking research in this area, do get in touch with Professor Kristy Howells via email: kristy.howells@canterbury.ac.uk.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the UK marks World Obesity Day on 4 March 2026, Professor Kristy Howells explores the growing challenge of childhood obesity and argues that recognising obesity as a chronic disease [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":242,"featured_media":12646,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,3902,1357,342],"tags":[6802,77,961],"class_list":["post-12634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-research","category-society","category-sport","tag-childhood-obesity","tag-obesity","tag-world-obesity-day"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"authorName":"Jeanette Earl","featuredImage":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/expertcomment\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/437\/2026\/03\/Childhood-obesity.jpg","postExcerpt":"As the UK marks World Obesity Day on 4 March 2026, Professor Kristy Howells explores the growing challenge of childhood obesity and argues that recognising obesity as a chronic disease [&hellip;]","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/expertcomment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/expertcomment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/expertcomment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/expertcomment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/242"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/expertcomment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12634"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/expertcomment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12634\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12642,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/expertcomment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12634\/revisions\/12642"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/expertcomment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12646"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/expertcomment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/expertcomment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/expertcomment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}