New report - Achieving childhood healthy weight requires urgent and bold action

That’s the shocking finding of a new report published today by Obesity Action Scotland and University of Glasgow researchers. 

After analysing data collected using the Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) cohort of children, which has followed a group of children in Scotland since they were 10 months old, the report also found that: 

• Half of GUS children were a healthy weight when measured at three time points during childhood (4, 11 and 14 years). Based on the experiences of GUS children, it is likely that at least half of Scottish children today will experience overweight or obesity by the age of 14 years.   
• The prevalence of overweight and obesity increased from 25% at age 4 to 37% at age 14. This was mainly driven by increases in obesity, which rose from 10% to 22%.   
• Poverty and other aspects of social disadvantage, including area deprivation, circumstances of the parent(s), food insecurity and a range of other, often co-existing factors, amplify the risk of experiencing overweight and obesity. 

A summary report Understanding childhood weight in Scotland: What can longitudinal data tell us? and the full study Growing Up in Scotland: obesity from early childhood to adolescence are available on our website. 

The report author Dr Anna Pearce, Research Fellow said: 

“Tackling child poverty and disadvantage in the early years is essential if we are to avoid further rises in childhood obesity and prevent widening health inequalities in future generations of adults. Food insecurity, which is far higher now than it was when the GUS children were growing up, is one area for urgent action."

Lorraine Tulloch, Programme Lead of Obesity Action Scotland said: 

“Children trust us to do the best for them. As a nation we need to ensure they have easy and reliable access to food that can promote their health. We need to put healthy food centre stage and within everyone’s reach. 

This report highlights that the consequences of food insecurity go way beyond the short-term impact that we are all already acutely aware of. 

I hope that this report will add to the valuable evidence we have on childhood health and will provide an urgent incentive for action.  We can turn this around with brave and bold policy to tackle social disadvantage and improve food environments.”