Growing inequality in childhood obesity in Southampton

A widening disparity in childhood obesity rates in Southampton is set to worsen, a public health chief has warned.

Data for 2022/23 shows that 40.5 per cent of the city’s year six children are overweight, with 26 per cent classified as obese, both figures exceeding national averages.

At a recent health and wellbeing board meeting, a report highlighted significant inequalities linked to deprivation. Ravita Taheem, a senior public health practitioner, revealed that 44.3 per cent of children in Southampton's most deprived areas are overweight or obese, compared to 23.8 per cent in the least deprived areas.

Debbie Chase, director of public health, noted that while obesity rates in more affluent areas are decreasing, they are rising in deprived areas. She warned that without intervention, the city’s growing deprivation will exacerbate these trends.

Taheem's team is working on a comprehensive approach to tackle childhood obesity, addressing systemic causes rather than just symptoms. They have identified four key drivers: time and resource-poor families, mixed signals from authorities and communities, unsafe public spaces, and local policies with conflicting priorities.

For instance, research found that food costs significantly more in smaller stores within deprived areas compared to larger supermarkets. Additionally, mixed messages from vending machines in hospitals and unhealthy rewards in schools were highlighted as contributing factors.

Taheem emphasised the need to redesign the system, rather than just controlling it. The team has developed a four-level framework for intervention, focusing on overall intent, policy design, feedback mechanisms, and traditional interventions like campaigns and training.