Oxford News
British children are growing taller but not for the right reasons
Being overweight or obese causes hormonal changes, which accelerate children’s development. Obese children grow faster, so they tend to be taller than their healthy-weight peers. But obese children have a greater risk of disease in later life, including diabetes and heart disease.
Drawing on data obtained via Freedom of Information requests and official statistics, the researchers examined trends in child height and obesity up to the 2023/24 school year. Child obesity rates have increased in deprived areas, but decreased in more affluent areas, reflecting widening socioeconomic inequalities. Meanwhile, inequalities in height have reduced: poorer children still tend to be shorter than their wealthier peers, but the gap is narrowing. Children in poorer areas are getting taller on average and the researchers suggest this is because of their increasing rates of obesity.
In England’s most deprived areas, the average height of 11-year-old boys increased by 1.7cm from 144.4cm to 146.1cm in the fourteen years between 2009/10 to 2023/24. The proportion of these children who were overweight or obese increased from 37.7% to 43.3% in the same period.
‘It might look like a simple good news story, as on average children in Britain are getting taller,’ says GP and researcher Andrew Moscrop of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences. ‘But in fact it’s a complex bad news story, because this trend is mostly due to height changes among poorer children, and these are being driven by increases in obesity prevalence, which are themselves driven by unfair determinants of health.
‘Children in poorer areas are exposed to more unhealthy food outlets and fewer healthy food sources, while they have less access to outdoor spaces and safe streets for exercise. Additionally, the children’s services that were intended and demonstrated to support children’s healthy weight have been cut back, with deeper cuts in deprived areas.
‘Addressing these issues demands eradicating child poverty and reducing inequalities, while also addressing the environments our children grow up in.’
A sudden increase in average child height occurred among all children during the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside a sudden rise in obesity prevalence, due to the reduced opportunities for outdoor exercise and less healthy eating patterns. Among girls aged 11 in England, average height jumped from 146.6cm to 148.0 between school years 2019/20 and 2020/21, while prevalence of overweight and obesity among this age group increased in the same period from 35.2 to 40.9%.
Focus on child height intensified after reports in 2023 claimed British children were ‘shrinking’. These media reports prompted a government statement in January 2024 asserting that data ‘demonstrated growth.’ The researchers say the data suggesting children were ‘shrinking’ was inaccurate, while the government statement was misleading because they quoted data from the COVID-related height increase.
Child Measurement Programmes routinely measure the height and weight of every child during their first year of state education in Britain. In England, approximately 600,000 children aged 4-5 are measured annually, while smaller numbers are measured in Scotland (50,000 to 55,000) and Wales (30,000 to 35,000). Children in England are also measured aged 10-11, in their final year of primary education.
The authors of the paper are GP and researcher Andrew Moscrop of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Danny Dorling, Professor of Human Geography at the University of Oxford, and Tim Cole, Emeritus professor of medical statistics, UCL.
The paper, ‘‘British children are not shrinking’, but child height is increasing for the wrong reasons: trends and inequalities in child measurement programme data for England, Scotland and Wales’, is published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
The flights mark a major boost to the airport’s connectivity ahead of the budget airline’s record Summer 2026 schedule.
The new routes form part of Ryanair’s expanded Glasgow programme for Summer 2026, which will see the airline operate over 100 weekly flights across eight routes.
The new double-daily London Stansted service further strengthens Glasgow’s access to the English capital, while the launch of the Warsaw service enhances Glasgow’s international offering.
Jonathan Ford, portfolio manager at AGS Airports, said: “It’s fantastic to see Ryanair’s new services to London Stansted and Warsaw take off today.
“The double-daily Stansted route offers even more flexibility for business and leisure travellers heading to and from England’s innovation corridor, while Warsaw provides a valuable new link that expands the international connectivity available to our passengers.
“These launches mark the start of what will be a record summer for Ryanair at Glasgow, and we look forward to welcoming even more travellers through our doors.”
Last month, Ryanair launched its 2026 plan for Glasgow with 10 routes, including holiday hotspots like Lanzarote, Palma de Mallorca, and Tenerife, as well as city break destinations like Barcelona and Pisa.
The budget airline will also operate extra frequencies on its Alicante, Faro, Pisa, Malaga and Murcia routes.
The new schedule is underpinned by Ryanair’s two Glasgow Prestwick-based aircraft.
Thames Valley Police said it stopped a vehicle yesterday evening (Saturday March 28) after noting it had defective lights in Woodstock.
The car “smelt of cannabis” and following a “positive drugs test” the police arrested the motorist.
READ MORE: Investigation launched as unidentified Toyota ‘hits’ pedestrian near Uni Parks
A spokesperson for the the roads policing unit said they “stopped a vehicle this evening with defective lights in Woodstock”.
They added: “The vehicle smelt of cannabis. The driver provided a positive drug wipe and was arrested.”
Driving under the influence of drugs (drug driving) is a criminal offence and if found guilty, the driver could face an automatic driving ban, a hefty fine, and potential prison time.
Launched on Monday, March 23, the first Walking Bus began at the Woodgreen Council Offices in Witney and ended at Witney Community Primary School.
The scheme allows pupils to join at set points along the route and walk to school together under adult supervision.
Councillor Rachel Crouch, executive member for stronger, healthy communities, said: “It was such a lovely morning seeing children chatting, smiling and enjoying the walk together.
“It’s a simple idea, but it makes a real difference.
“Families can spend time together, children arrive ready for the day, and we all benefit from quieter, safer streets.”
Described as a ‘bus route’ on foot, the Walking Bus aims to encourage daily activity, boost confidence and reduce congestion around schools.
It also offers a way for children to build friendships and start the day in a relaxed environment.
A volunteer who joined the first walk said: “It made the morning feel much calmer and more enjoyable.
“It’s a great way to start the day, and it was lovely to see the children feel part of something.”
One child taking part said: “It’s like an adventure!”
The Walking Bus will now run every school day, with routes tailored to participating families, and more routes could be added if interest grows.
The initiative is part of the council’s wider efforts to promote healthier living and sustainable travel within the community.
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