How child obesity varies based on age, ethnicity and where you live
Friday 11 January 2019 03:30, UK
Snacks, sugary drinks and too much screen time are often portrayed as turning the UK's children into an increasingly overweight generation - but how true is it?
About a third of children (aged 2-15) in the UK are either overweight or obese, according to official health surveys.
Scotland has a lower childhood obesity rate than the other home nations - and one that has been steadily falling.
Northern Ireland has the highest rate - with one in five children classed as obese.
Obesity increases through primary school
The government's National Child Measurement Programme shows that between reception year (age four and five) and Year 6 (age 10 and 11), the number of children overweight or obese increases from one in five to one in three.
Children of a black ethnic background are more likely to be obese, and those from a Chinese background the least.
Prevalence of obesity is also higher in more deprived areas.
About half of the parents whose children are obese consider their child is about the right weight and the other half perceive their child is too heavy.
Tap and zoom on the map to see how your area measures up for childhood obesity at reception and Year 6.
Doctors admit that - which uses height, weight, sex and age - is not perfect.
A person is said to be obese if their BMI is above 30, or overweight if it is between 25 and 29.9.
However it does not always give a definitive diagnosis - particularly for people with high muscle mass.
Wales is not included in the analysis as the data is not comparable.