Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 25, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Burden of child and adolescent obesity on health services in England
Russell M Viner1, Sanjay Kinra2, Dasha Nicholls1
1UCL Great Ormond St. Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
Insights
Over a million children and young people in England require obesity management, yet service access is limited, especially for deprived youth. This highlights a critical gap between the burden of childhood obesity and available support services.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Paediatric Endocrinology
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a significant public health issue in England.
- Existing guidelines outline a pathway for assessment and management of obese children and young people (CYP).
- Understanding the scale of need at each pathway stage is crucial for service planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the number of obese children and young people (CYP) eligible for assessment and management at each step of the childhood obesity pathway in England.
- To identify disparities in eligibility for obesity management services among different socioeconomic groups.
Main Methods:
- A pathway modelling study was conducted.
- Operationalised UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on childhood obesity management.
- Utilised national survey data, specifically the Health Survey for England (2006-2013) for CYP aged 2-18 years.
Main Results:
- 11.2% (1.22 million) of CYP were eligible for primary care assessment and community lifestyle modification.
- 5.1% (556,000) were eligible for secondary care referral, with 2.4% (90,500) eligible for bariatric surgery.
- CYP from the most deprived quintile were 1.5 to 3 times more likely to be eligible for obesity management, indicating significant health inequalities.
Conclusions:
- A significant mismatch exists between the population burden of childhood obesity and current service utilization data in England.
- Deprived young people are disproportionately affected and face greater barriers to accessing obesity management services.
- There is an urgent need for evidence-based commissioning of services aligned with the population burden across the entire childhood obesity pathway.
Objective:
To assess the numbers of obese children and young people (CYP) eligible for assessment and management at each stage of the childhood obesity pathway in England.
Design:
Pathway modelling study, operationalising the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance on childhood obesity management against national survey data.
Setting:
Data on CYP aged 2-18 years from the Health Survey for England 2006 to 2013.
Main Outcome Measures:
Clinical obesity (body mass index (BMI) >98th centile), extreme obesity (BMI ≥99.86th centile); family history of cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes; obesity comorbidities defined as primary care detectable (hypertension, orthopaedic or mobility problems, bullying or psychological distress) or secondary care detectable (dyslipidaemia, hyperinsulinaemia, high glycated haemoglobin, abnormal liver function).
Results:
11.2% (1.22 million) of CYP in England were eligible for primary care assessment and for community lifestyle modification. 2.6% (n=283 500) CYP were estimated to be likely to attend primary care. 5.1% (n=556 000) were eligible for secondary care referral. Among those aged 13-18 years, 8.2% (n=309 000) were eligible for antiobesity drug therapy and 2.4% (90 500) of English CYP were eligible for bariatric surgery. CYP from the most deprived quintile were 1.5-fold to 3-fold more likely to be eligible for obesity management.
Conclusions:
There is a mismatch between population burden and available data on service use for obesity in CYP in England, particularly among deprived young people. There is a need for consistent evidence-based commissioning of services across the childhood obesity pathway based on population burden.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Obesity
01:21Drug Dosing: Obese Patients
01:30Preventive Healthcare Services
01:18Models of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention II
The agent-host-environment model states that disease results...
01:26Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques IV
01:30Primary Healthcare Services
In 1978, international leaders convened in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, for what would be a pivotal event in global health. The Alma-Ata Declaration was the first to call...