Why it matters: The Royal Society for Public Health warned the nation is "failing the test on childhood obesity" as children in the most deprived areas will be worst affected.
The big picture: Suffolk reflects a nationwide crisis, with 90% of areas expected to see worsening levels of overweight children over the next decade. Nationally, childhood obesity rates are projected to jump from 36% to 41% by 2034-35.
The details: The RSPH analysed 15 years of government data from the national child measurement programme (2009-10 to 2023-24) to predict future obesity levels across England.
What they're saying: William Roberts, RSPH chief executive, said: "As a nation we're failing the test on childhood obesity. Our projections show that we are heading in the wrong direction on obesity, with children in some of the most deprived areas set to be worst affected."
He added: "Making physical activity the default in schools will go a long away in helping to build a healthier future."
Ali Oliver, chief executive of the Youth Sport Trust, said supporting children's mental and social development is also needed to reverse the trend. She added: "We now need a new national plan which fully embraces the power of physical activity including PE, sport and play, to develop a generation of children and young people who are happy, healthy and ready to learn."
What's next: The Government said it is determined to give every child the "best start in life" and is "acting quickly with experts across the sector to revise the School Food Standards". Officials are also considering how to build physical activity into children's lives and tackling the crisis by "shifting our focus from treatment to prevention, including by limiting school children's access to fast food and cracking down on junk food advertising."
The bottom line: Despite government efforts to create the "healthiest generation of children in our history", Suffolk faces a worsening childhood obesity crisis that experts say requires fundamental changes to how physical activity is integrated into education.
