Children in England's most deprived areas more than twice as likely to be obese
New government data show 10 to 11 year olds in England's most deprived areas are more than twice as likely to be obese as those in the most affluent areas.
How it was covered
- GB News was the only channel found covering it, concentrating on the deprivation obesity gap and panel debate on causes and interventions.
- Channel 5, BBC News, BBC One, BBC Two, Channel 4, ITV and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
New government data show that children in England's most deprived areas are more than twice as likely to be obese, GB News reported. The figures reported by GB News put the obesity rate for 10 to 11 year olds in the poorest areas at 30.4%, compared with 13% in the most affluent areas, meaning the rate is more than double.
GB News said the Department of Health and Social Care statistics also confirmed that the deprivation gap between Year 6 children is at a post-pandemic high.
On a GB News panel, Benjamin Butterworth said unhealthy food is often seen as cheaper and more accessible. In the same GB News discussion, he said lower-income parents may work longer hours, be more likely to be single parents, or have less time to prepare meals. He also told the GB News panel that salt and sugar can be addictive.
On the same GB News panel, Julia Lopez said she hated the sugar tax, arguing it is unfair to people who are not obese and has not made people thinner. She told GB News that state interventions such as the sugar tax, restrictions on high-fat and salty foods, and advertising bans had not made a substantial difference. The GB News panel also discussed education and cooking skills as possible responses.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| New government data indicate that 10 to 11 year olds in England's most deprived areas are more than twice as likely to be obese as those in the most affluent areas, with rates of 30.4% and 13% and the deprivation gap at a post-pandemic high. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
GB News treated the obesity figures as the starting point for a panel discussion about why poorer children are more likely to be obese. The discussion focused on parental time pressures, food availability and whether state interventions such as the sugar tax work. It also included criticism of the sugar tax and scepticism about the effectiveness of restrictions.
- “this is actually a really serious sociological problem isn't it why is it that the least well off in our society are fatter than everybody else”
- “i hate the sugar tax”
- “it doesn't seem to make people any thinner either”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.