CHILDREN’S weight gain in lockdowns is set to cost the economy almost £9billion, a study claims.
More than one in five kids in Year 6 in England are now obese, with the rate increasing as a result of the pandemic.
GettyProfessor Keith Godfrey, one of the study’s authors, said tackling childhood obesity was a ‘national priority’[/caption]
Many of the ten and 11-year-olds put on weight because they were schooled at home and could not go out to play organised sports.
The group’s 22.7 per cent obesity rate last year is higher than the pre-pandemic 21 per cent.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research said from 60 to 85 per cent of obese kids stay that way into adulthood.
They are more likely to go on to suffer Type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease, the study, published in PLOS, said.
It suggested the increase in obesity levels could set the UK economy back by £8.7billion, and cost the NHS £800million.
Professor Keith Godfrey, one of the study’s authors, said tackling childhood obesity was a “national priority”.
The Obesity Health Alliance said: “Reducing childhood obesity is fundamental to tackling the inequalities that undermine our society.”
Co-author, emeritus Professor Mark Hanson, from the University of Southampton, said: “Once established, obesity has proven to be difficult to reverse.
“Some 60%-85% of children with obesity remain obese in adulthood, increasing their risks of future ill-health.
“Our finding of a rapid return to pre-pandemic levels of overweight and obesity in the youngest children suggests new policies should target under-fives.
“This is likely to be an effective means of tackling the growing problem of childhood obesity.”