Programme aim

To work collaboratively with system partners across the capital to support children and young people (CYP) and families to achieve healthy weight.

According to Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), in 2018-2019

• 21.6% of 4-5 year old children in London were obese
• 38.2% of 10-11 year old children in London were overweight or obese

Obesity and excess weight in children have substantial impacts on children and wider society. Children in deprived areas are disproportionately affected by obesity.

Impact on children

• Associated with asthma and other respiratory conditions
• Linked to early puberty
• Linked to some cancers
• Twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes
• Linked to psychological disorders e.g. anxiety, poor self-esteem and eating disorders
• More likely to be bullied

Impact on society

• If remaining obese into adulthood, will have a lower life expectancy than adults who are not obese
• Adult obesity costs the NHS £4.2 billion per year
• Associated with reduced productivity in the workplace

London children and young people obesity network

The NHS England – London babies, children and young people’s transformation team hosts quarterly meetings with NHS staff, integrated care system leads, local authorities, paediatric networks, public health consultants, multidisciplinary staff who work with children and young people, and regional partners including the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), Transformation Partners in Health and Care, and more.

If you’re interested in joining the network, please email england.cyptransformationldn@nhs.net.

Resources

• London Sport – Get Active

The weight management FutureNHS site can be accessed here. Please register and request to join the workspace.