New data highlights early obesity risk for Welsh children
Too many children in Wales are living with overweight or obesity before their third birthday, according to new analysis of routine health data.
The study, carried out by Public Health Wales and Digital Health and Care Wales, examined the first 1,000 days of life for 4,044 children born in Wales in 2022.
It found that by the age of 27 months, 15 per cent of children were living with overweight and nearly 12 per cent were living with obesity.
Researchers looked at factors linked to rapid weight gain in infancy, including feeding practices, the introduction of solid foods, sleep patterns, and wider environmental influences. Feeding method at six months was identified as a significant factor, alongside low birth weight and preterm birth.
Babies who were fed exclusively with formula milk were found to have almost double the likelihood of rapid weight gain compared with those who were exclusively breastfed.
Rachel Bath, Consultant in Public Health and lead for Early Years at Public Health Wales, said: “The foundation for a life lived in good health is built in our early years, and actions in the first years of life to prevent overweight will have the greatest impact on the rest of a child’s life.
“Our data analysis supports the existing evidence base that breastfeeding reduces the risk of overweight. The evidence also supports the need for us to consider babies and children in all our policy decisions so we can create the conditions to enable the best start in life.
“We recognise that how parents feed their baby is a personal choice, and many families face real barriers to breastfeeding. We welcome the focus on children in the 2025-27 Healthy Weight Healthy Wales delivery plan and we are looking forward to seeing Welsh Government’s Infant Feeding Action Plan which aims to make breastfeeding a culturally accepted and supported option for all mothers.”
Across Wales, around three in five adults and one in four children are living with overweight or obesity, with rates higher in more deprived areas. Excess weight is linked to conditions including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
Public Health Wales estimates that illness linked to overweight and obesity costs the Welsh NHS around £500 million each year.
Dr Ilona Johnson, Consultant in Public Health and Interim co-Director of Health Improvement at Public Health Wales, said: “We have a long way to go to address the challenge of obesity. While we need the right services and treatments to support people living with overweight and obesity, to make a real, lasting difference, we need to act much earlier.
“People feel the environment is working against them because they are surrounded by high energy food that is low in nutrients. Healthier lives and healthier choices need to be easier and this means the places where we live, work and play should be healthier and supportive by default.
“That’s why Public Health Wales supports measures such as the introduction of regulations around the promotion and placement of food in retail environments, as this is what people have told us will help them.
“Taking on the challenge of obesity is a complex task. For us to make a real difference we need a long term commitment to an ambitious approach that goes beyond health services and treatments, to transform our environments so we are preventing obesity and overweight at the earliest opportunity.”
[Photo: abbhealthiertogether.cymru.nhs]
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