Child obesity rates rise among youngest pupils

Levels of excess weight among young children in Guernsey are rising, with more than one in five Year 1 pupils now classed as overweight or obese, according to a new report.

The latest findings from the Guernsey Child Measurement Programme showed 21.2% of children in Year 1, aged five and six, had excess weight in 2026. Among Year 5 pupils, aged nine and 10, the figure was 29.7%.

Researchers estimated 294 children across the two year groups were living overweight or with obesity.

The annual programme, which has recorded the heights and weights of Year 1 and Year 5 pupils since 2013, found 78% of children in Year 1 were at a healthy weight. That fell to 68.8% among Year 5 pupils.

Jenny Cataroche, head of public health intelligence, said: "Data from 2026 showed a higher proportion of Year 1 children with excess weight and a lower proportion of Year 5 children with excess weight, compared to last year. However, the long-term trend - correcting for year-to-year variations - shows that the level of excess weight is rising in Year 1 and stable in Year 5."

The report found no strong evidence of an overall increase or decrease among Year 5 pupils, confirming a reversal of a previously recorded downward trend.

It also highlighted a gap between pupils attending fee-paying and non-fee-paying schools, with Year 5 children at non-fee-paying schools more likely to have unhealthy levels of excess weight.

Alex Hawkins-Drew, associate director of public health, said the difference was "a concerning health inequality".

He explained children from more affluent backgrounds tended to have better health outcomes across a range of measures and said the disparity was linked to wider social and environmental factors rather than anything individual schools were doing.

Ellie Gould, healthier weight lead at the Health Improvement Commission, said the findings among Year 1 pupils were concerning and highlighted the importance of creating environments where healthy eating, physical activity and good nutrition were easier from an early age.

She said childhood health laid the foundation for wellbeing and quality of life later in life, adding that organisations across the island would continue working together to help more children grow up healthy and active.

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