Poverty hits efforts to tackle child obesity in North East

NEW analysis has found that the North East has the worst levels of childhood obesity in the country, as “crushing” poverty hampers parents’ ability to provide healthy meals.

- DANIEL HOLLAND

A report published by Health Equity North on behalf of the Child of the North All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) warns that food insecurity is rising across the country - and that children’s health in deprived areas across the North is suffering as a result.

Food insecurity in households with children in the North rose 5.5% between 2019/20 and 2022/23, meaning that more families are unable to access enough affordable, nutritious, healthy food. In the South of England, however, there was only a 3.8% rise.

The report highlights how 24.5% of Year 6 age children in the North East, almost one in four, are living with obesity - the highest prevalence in the country.

Penny Walters, an ambassador for the Newcastle-based Food Foundation, said that food insecurity “is not about poor choices - it is about a lack of choices” and has urged the Government to combat the issues through measures such as ending the two-child benefit cap, auto-enrolling families in every part of the country for free school meals, and providing better-funded community hubs for advice and support.