Statistics on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet, England 2021

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance covers preventing children, young people and adults becoming overweight or obese. It outlines how the NHS, local authorities, early years’ settings, schools and workplaces can increase physical activity levels and make dietary improvements among their target populations.

Obesity prevention: clinical guideline

The Health Survey for England (HSE) provides data on the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adults. It compares prevalence rates in different population groups by age, sex and indicators of economic deprivation. The report also examines health risk associated with BMI and waist circumference by providing data on diabetes status by waist circumference and by BMI.

Adult and child overweight and obesity report, Health Survey for England, 2019

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) health statistics database provides international comparisons of obesity prevalence.

OECD health statistics online database

The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) provides analyses of overweight and obesity among children by age, sex, ethnicity and geography. It covers children in Reception (aged 4-5 years) and Year 6 (aged 10-11 years) in mainstream state-maintained schools in England.

National Child Measurement Programme

The Health Survey for England (HSE) provides data on the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children by age, sex and household income. The report also provides child overweight and obesity, by parental BMI status. It covers children aged 2-15, although as a sample it has much lower coverage than NCMP and therefore the estimates are less precise.

Adult and child overweight and obesity report, Health Survey for England, 2019

Physical activity guidelines have been provided by the Chief Medical Officers in the UK on the amount and type of physical activity people should be doing to improve their health.

Physical activity guidelines

Public Health England’s Physical Activity tool brings together data for the whole of England on physical activity, including walking and cycling, as well as data on related risk factors and conditions such as obesity and diabetes.

Physical Activity tool

Sport England run two surveys: Active Lives Adult, which is published twice a year and the Active Lives Children and Young People, which is published annually.

Active Lives

The Department of Transport presents information on walking and cycling in England.

Walking and Cycling Statistics

The Eatwell Guide is a policy tool used to define government recommendations on eating healthily and achieving a balanced diet.

The Eatwell Guide

Family Food presents the results from the Family Food module of the Living Costs and Food Survey, covering household shopping and eating habits. Breakdowns are provided by characteristics including region, income, household composition and occupation.

Family Food statistics

The Health Survey for England sometimes includes questions about fruit and vegetable consumption. The most recent available data is from the Health Survey for England 2018.

Adults’ health-related behaviours

Children’s health

The National Diet and Nutrition Survey assesses the diet, nutrient intake and nutritional status of the general population of the UK.

National Diet and Nutrition Survey