North East Leads the Nation in Childhood Obesity Rates

National World - LocalTV

A Shocking new analysis has revealed that the North East now has the highest levels of childhood obesity in the country,  crisis driven by what experts call “crushing” poverty and a sharp rise in food insecurity.

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00:00A shocking new analysis has revealed that the North East now has the highest levels of childhood

00:06obesity in the country, a crisis driven by what experts call crushing poverty and a sharp rise

00:12in food insecurity. A report published by Health Equity North warns the grown numbers of families

00:18across the region are unable to afford healthy, nutritious meals. Between 2019 and 2023, food

00:25insecurity in Northern households with children rose by 5.5% compared to 3.8% in the South,

00:32a stark reminder of the widening health divide. The report shows that almost one in four-year

00:37six children in the North East, 24.5%, are now living with obesity, the highest rates in England.

00:44The region also tops the charts for maternal obesity and preconception diabetes in pregnant women.

00:51Penny Walters, an ambassador for the Newcastle-based Food Foundation,

00:54says the crisis isn't about poor choices, it's about a lack of choices. She's calling on the

01:00government to act urgently by ending the two-child benefit cap, automatically enrolling families in

01:06free school meals and better funding local community hubs for advice and support. While

01:11I shared her own experience, saying that rising costs and frozen benefits have made accessing healthy

01:17food nearly impossible. She's added, cooking from scratch sounds simple but it takes more than

01:23ingredients. You need fuel, equipment and knowledge. Without those, families are left with no real

01:29options. The report also urges stricter limits on fast food outlets near schools and in deprived areas.

01:35Alarmingly, 66% of people in the North East now live within one kilometre of a fast food outlet,

01:40a figure that's more than doubled since 2016.

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