28% of two to 15-year-olds in England estimated to be overweight or obese
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Almost a third of children aged two to 15 are overweight or obese.
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An NHS survey estimates that 28% of children aged two to 15 in England were overweight or obese in 2016.
'Data shows that almost a third of children aged two to 15 are overweight or obese.' The Guardian, 23 April 2018
In England, an estimated 16% of children aged two to 15 were obese in 2016, and a further 12% were overweight (but not obese). That means 28% of two to 15-year-olds were overweight or obese – so just over a quarter.
29% of girls were estimated to be overweight or obese, and 26% of boys were.
Being overweight or obese is defined in terms of body mass index (BMI) – essentially weight divided by height. A child's BMI is measured against a reference chart of BMI levels from 1990. A child whose BMI is in the top 5% of that chart is considered obese, and those in the next 10% down are considered overweight.
The NHS says BMI 'is a good way of finding out whether a child is a healthy weight' bu...
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