Children living with overweight and obesity is a key public health issue, posing a major health challenge and risk to future health and wellbeing and life expectancy in County Durham. The World Health Organisation (WHO) regards childhood obesity as one of the most serious global health challenges for the 21st century.
In childhood, overweight can directly cause mobility problems, hypertension and abnormalities in glucose metabolism. In addition there may be emotional issues related to low self-esteem.
Obesity levels are rising both locally and nationally. This will have profound long-term consequences for the health and wellbeing of our communities in County Durham.
Key messages
Children living with excess weight data report: Click the report tabs to explore more data around children living with excess weight in County Durham. Click on the expand button in the bottom right of the box to open in full screen mode.
Our Strategies, plans and groups
Working towards Healthy Weight 2018
Healthy Weight Pathway resource 2022
The evidence base
- Overview | Obesity prevention | Guidance | NICE
- Tackling obesity: government strategy – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- (Excess Weight and COVID-19 (publishing.service.gov.uk)
- Adult obesity: applying All Our Health – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Tackling obesity seriously: the time has come – The Lancet Public Health
- Is Obesity Policy in England Fit for Purpose? Analysis of Government Strategies and Policies, 1992–2020 – THEIS – 2021 – The Milbank Quarterly – Wiley Online Library
- Executive summary: learning from local authorities with downward trends in childhood obesity – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Quantifying the impact of obesity prevention policies in the UK
Other relevant links
- Director of Health Annual Report – Obesity – An issue too big to ignore… or too big to mention? 2015 (PDF; 3Mb)
- NCMP Local Authority Overview, Fingertips, Public Health England (PHE)
- Health Survey for England, NHS Digital
- National Obesity Observatory, PHE
- LG Inform: National Child Measurement Programme Report