Childhood weight report highlights inequalities

The report found 280 children were estimated to be overweight or obese in years one and five

One in three children between the ages of nine and 10 have unhealthy levels of excess weight, according to a new report.

The Guernsey Child Measurement Programme report found nearly 17% of children in year five were overweight and 18% were obese.

It showed 280 children were estimated to be living with overweight or obesity in years one and five, a rise from the 267 children recorded in 2024.

In both year groups, children at States-run schools had higher proportions of unhealthy excess weight than those at private schools, which Public Health associate director Alex Hawkins-Drew referred to as "a concerning health inequality" in the report.

Ms Hawkins-Drew said she would work with the Health Improvement Commission to "continue to look at the root causes of this inequality and how it can be addressed".

The study annually records the heights and weights of children in school years one and five during the spring term.

It showed 8% of five and six year olds were overweight and nearly 9% were obese.

Dr Simon Sebire, head of the Health Improvement Commission, said childhood obesity often persisted into adulthood but that overweight was "largely preventable".

"The findings of the Guernsey Child Measurement Programme highlight the continued need to focus on prevention by creating everyday environments that make healthy eating and physical activity easier for everyone," he said.