Primary 1 BMI Data 2022/23 - Scotland's children deserve better

Today, Public Health Scotland have published their annual Primary 1 BMI statistics. The data for the 2022/23 school year shows an increase in the proportion of children recorded as being a healthy weight. However, the proportion of Primary 1 children at risk of obesity remains broadly similar to before the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The percentage of children at risk of developing obesity alone is now 10.5%, a decrease from 11.7% last year. Whilst any decrease is good news, it is still concerning that since these measurements began in 2001/02 there has been no sustained positive change in obesity prevalence. 

Worryingly, there are real marked differences between the most and least deprived children. This is a persistent issue and particularly clear in children living with obesity. In 2022/23, children from the most deprived backgrounds were more than twice as likely to be at risk of obesity than children from least deprived backgrounds (13.9% vs 6.8%).  

Lorraine Tulloch, OAS Programme Lead, said:

“The children of Scotland deserve to have the healthiest childhood possible. Today’s data indicates that, since records began in 2001, there has been little progress towards reducing the percentage of children starting primary school already living with obesity. Scotland’s children deserve better. 

Every child, no matter their background, has a right to health and the persistent inequalities gap faced by many must be addressed.  

We need to create a food environment that protects children from the unhealthy foods that are regularly put in the spotlight by manufacturers and retailers. The Scottish Government needs to intervene and urgently progress bold measures that will ensure only healthy foods achieve the spotlight. Child healthy weight matters to us all.” 

Read the full Primary 1 BMI report from Public Health Scotland here.  

Last week, the Scottish Health Survey 2022 reported no progress towards the ambition to halve childhood obesity. Read more here.