Obesity levels among children due to the pandemic ‘could end up costing more than £8bn’

Obesity levels among children due to the pandemic could end up costing more than £8 billion, research suggests.

A new study found obesity in England rose significantly among four to five-year-olds and those aged 10 to 11 between 2019/20 and 2020/21 – at the height of the spread of coronavirus.

While more recent figures show a slight drop in obesity levels during primary school, the proportion of obese children aged 10 to 11 is still higher than before the pandemic.

Researchers from