Physical activity
Physical inactivity is the 4th leading risk factor for global mortality accounting for 6% of deaths globally. People who have a physically active lifestyle have a 20 to 35% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease and stroke compared to those who have a sedentary lifestyle. Regular physical activity is also associated with a reduced risk of diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, colon and breast cancer, and with improved mental health. In older adults physical activity is associated with increased functional capacities. In addition, physical activity can also boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing risk of stress, clinical depression, dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The estimated direct cost of physical inactivity to the NHS across the UK is over £0.9 billion per year. The CMO currently recommends that adults undertake a minimum of 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate physical activity per week or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week or an equivalent combination of the two (MVPA), in bouts of 10 minutes or more. The overall amount of activity is more important than the type, intensity or frequency. The health benefits of a physically active lifestyle are well documented and there is a large amount of evidence to suggest that regular activity is related to reduced incidence of many chronic conditions. Physical activity contributes to a wide range of health benefits and regular physical activity can improve health outcomes irrespective of whether individuals achieve weight loss.
Percentage (%) of physically active adults (aged 19+ years)
Percentage (%) of physically active adults (aged 19+ years) in Bury for the year 2023/24 was 68%, statistically similar England average of 67.4%. Between 2015/16 and 2023/24, Bury experienced a fluctuating trend. The proportion declined from 65.8% in 2015/16 to a low of 61.3% in 2017/18. This was followed by a sharp recovery, peaking at 69.2% in 2021/22. Although there was a dip to 65.5% in 2022/23, the proportion rose again to 68% in 2023/24. England's trend over the same period was more stable and gradually increasing. Starting at 66.1% in 2015/16, the proportion remained relatively consistent, with minor fluctuations, reaching 67.4% in 2023/24 (Figure 1). No trend data based on 5 most recent data points are available for Bury.
Figure 1: Percentage of physically active adults in Bury and England from the year 2015/16-2023/24 (Obesity, Physical Activity and Nutrition, 2024)
Bury has the 3rd highest percentage of physically active adults in its group of 16 similar local authorities, with the highest percentage of physically active adults in Calderdale (70.2%) and lowest in Havering (57%).
While data on inequalities in physical activity are not available for Bury through the Fingertips platform, they are accessible via the Active Lives Survey. It is important to note that the percentages below do not add up to 100% because they represent the proportion of physically active individuals within each group, not the proportion of the total population. According to this most recent survey, covering the period from November 2023 to November 2024, the proportion of physically active adults in Bury has slightly declined to 66.4%, compared with the 68% previously reported on Fingertips. Below we present a breakdown of inequalities in physical activity within Bury, as reported in the Active Lives Survey for the period November 2023 to November 2024:
- Deprivation:
The data from the Active Lives Survey (November 2023 to 2024) highlights a clear deprivation gradient in physical activity levels within Bury (Figure 2). As levels of deprivation decrease, the proportion of adults meeting the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week increases. In the most deprived decile (decile 1), only 51% of adults are classified as active. This proportion rises steadily across the deprivation scale, reaching 71.4% in the least deprived decile (decile 10).
Figure 2: Percentage of physically active adults in Bury by deprivation decile during the period November 2023 to November 2024 (Active Lives Survey, 2024)
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- Ethnicity
Data on ethnicity for Bury, available for the period November 2023 to November 2024, are limited to White British ethnic group only. During this period, 69.3% of adults from the White British group in Bury were classified as physically active, compared with 65.2% for the same group across England.
- Working status
Similarly, data on working status in Bury are only available for the categories of employed and retired adults, likely due to small sample sizes in other groups. Among employed adults in Bury, 72.7% were physically active, which is higher than the national average of 68.4%. For retired individuals, 55.9% in Bury were physically active, closely aligning with the national figure of 55.5%.
Data from the Active Lives Survey (November 2023 to 2024) show a clear disparity in physical activity levels between adults with and without a disability or long-term health condition in Bury. Among those without a disability, 71.2% are classified as physically active, compared with 57.2% of those with a disability. Both figures are higher than the national averages for England, which are 68.9% for non-disabled adults and 48.4% for disabled adults (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Percentage of physically active adults in Bury by disability during the period November 2023 to November 2024 (Active Lives Survey, 2024)
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- Educational attainment
Data from the Active Lives Survey (November 2023 to 2024) show a clear pattern in physical activity levels by educational attainment, with higher levels of education associated with greater levels of physical activity. In Bury, 77.9% of adults with qualifications at Level 4 and above (such as higher education below degree level or degree-level qualifications) were classified as physically active. This is notably higher than the national average of 71.3% for the same group.
For adults in Bury with "Level 3 and other equivalent (A levels, NVQ)," 56.1% were physically active. While data for other education levels in Bury are not available, the national figures show a consistent gradient: physical activity increases with each higher level of educational attainment. For example, in England, only 37.7% of adults with no qualifications are physically active, compared with 65.4% at Level 3 and 71.3% at Level 4 and above.
- Gender
Examining data by gender, 70.6% of males in Bury are classified as physically active (November 2023 to 2024) , which is higher than the national average of 66.3%. Among females, 62.0% in Bury are physically active, also slightly above the national figure of 61.4%. The survey also includes a category for individuals identifying "in another way," though data for this group are not available for Bury, likely due to small sample sizes. Nationally, 59.1% of individuals in this category are physically active.
Figure 4: Percentage of physically active adults in Bury by gender during the period November 2023 to November 2024 (Active Lives Survey, 2024)
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- Age
Data from the Active Lives Survey (November 2023 to 2024) show clear differences in physical activity levels across age groups in Bury, with a pattern that broadly reflects national trends. In Bury, 77.6% of adults aged 16-34 are classified as physically active, which is higher than the national average of 69.9% for the same age group. Among those aged 35-54, 61.5% in Bury are active, slightly below the national figure of 65.4%. For older adults, Bury reports 70% for those aged 55-74, which is higher than the national averages for both the 55–74 age group (63.3%) and the 75+ group (42.7%). No data on 75+ years are available due to small numbers (Figure 5)
Figure 5: Percentage of physically active adults in Bury by age during the period November 2023 to November 2024 (Active Lives Survey, 2024)
- Levels of physical activity (%)
Physical activity levels can be categorised into three distinct groups based on the amount of moderate-intensity activity undertaken per week. Individuals are considered inactive if they engage in less than 30 minutes of physical activity per week. Those who are fairly active participate in between 30 and 149 minutes of activity weekly. To be classified as active, an individual must complete at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, in line with national health guidelines. These categories help to better understand and monitor population activity levels and inform targeted health interventions.
According to the Active Lives Survey (November 2023 to 2024), 66.4% of adults in Bury are classified as active, which is higher than both the North West regional average of 62.0% and the national average for England at 63.7%. The proportion of fairly active individuals in Bury is 9 %, slightly lower than the North West (10.7%) and England (11.2%). Meanwhile, 24.6% of adults in Bury are inactive, which is lower than the North West average of 27.4% and marginally below the national figure of 25.1% (Figure 2). These figures indicate that Bury performs relatively well in promoting physical activity, with a higher proportion of active residents and a lower proportion of inactive individuals compared to both regional and national levels (Figure 6).
Figure 6: Percentage (%) of adults categorised by physical activity level in Bury, the North West and England based on the Active Lives Survey (November 2023 to 2024)
Percentage (%) active by locations where people are active (at least 150 minutes a week)
Figure 3 presents the percentage of adults who are classified as physically active (at least 150 minutes a week) based on whether their activity takes place in indoor or outdoor settings, comparing data for England (national level) and Bury. In Bury, a higher proportion of adults are active through outdoor activities, with 56.7% engaging in physical activity outdoors. This is slightly above the national average for England, which stands at 54.9%. In contrast, indoor activity levels are lower in both areas. In Bury, 20.4% of adults are active through indoor activities, compared to 23.4% nationally (Figure 7).
Figure 7: Percentage (%) active by locations where people are active (at least 150 minutes a week) in Bury and England based on the Active Lives Survey (November 2023 to 2024)
These figures suggest that in Bury, outdoor environments may play a more prominent role in supporting physical activity compared to indoor settings, and that the area slightly outperforms the national average in terms of outdoor activity participation. This insight can help inform local planning and investment in outdoor recreational spaces and facilities.
Percentage (%) of adults meeting the CMO guidelines of 2+ sessions per week of muscle strengthening activity (activities where muscles feel some tension, shake or feel warm)
The percentage of adults meeting the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) guidelines for muscle strengthening activity is slightly lower in Bury compared to the national average. These guidelines recommend engaging in 2 or more sessions per week of activities that cause muscles to feel tension, shake or become warm, such as resistance training, bodyweight exercises or heavy lifting. In England, 43.8% of adults meet this recommendation, while in Bury the figure is 39.4% (Figure 8). This suggests that fewer adults in Bury are regularly participating in strength-based activities, which may indicate a need for targeted health promotion to encourage greater uptake of muscle strengthening exercises.
Figure 8: Percentage (%) of adults meeting the CMO guidelines of 2+ sessions per week of muscle strengthening activity (activities where muscles feel some tension, shake or feel warm) in Bury and England based on the Active Lives Survey (November 2023 to 2024)
Physical inactivity
Physical inactivity is defined as engaging in less than 30 minutes of physical activity per week. This is the same definition as one of the KPIs in the current government sport strategy (Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation). The strategy reports the percentage of adults physically inactive and is measured by the “percentage doing less than 30 mins physical activity each week”. While increasing the activity levels of all adults who are not meeting the recommendations is important, targeting those adults who are significantly inactive (i.e. engaging in less than 30 minutes of activity per week) will produce the greatest reduction in chronic disease.
Percentage (%) of physically inactive adults (aged 19+ years) in Bury for the year 2023/24 was 21.8%, statistically similar England average of 22%. During the period from 2015/16 to 2023/24, the percentage of physically inactive adults in Bury showed some variation, with proportion generally fluctuating between just under 20.9% and around 25.4%. The highest level of inactivity was recorded in 2016/17 at 25.4%, while the lowest was in 2018/19 at 20.9%, indicating a temporary improvement in physical activity levels. In the most recent year, 2023/24, the proportion stood at 21.8%, suggesting a modest decline in inactivity compared to earlier peaks, though not the lowest in the period.
In England, the trend was more stable, with inactivity rates consistently hovering around 22% to 23%. The national rate peaked slightly in 2020/21 at 23.4%, possibly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions. By 2023/24, the rate had decreased to 22.0%, showing a slight improvement. Overall, while Bury’s inactivity levels have been more variable, they have generally followed a similar pattern to the national trend (Figure 9). No trend data based on 5 most recent data points are available for Bury.
Figure 9: Percentage of physically inactive adults in Bury and England from the year 2015/16-2023/24 (Obesity, Physical Activity and Nutrition, 2024)
Bury has the 4th lowest percentage of physically inactive adults in its group of 16 similar local authorities, with the highest percentage of physically inactive adults in Havering (31.5%) and lowest in Calderdale (18.2%).
While data on inequalities in physical inactivity are not available for Bury through the Fingertips platform, they are accessible via the Active Lives Survey. It is important to note that the percentages below do not add up to 100% because they represent the proportion of physically inactive individuals within each group, not the proportion of the total population. According to this most recent survey, covering the period from November 2023 to November 2024, the proportion of physically inactive adults in Bury has slightly increased to 24.6%, compared with the 21.8% previously reported on Fingertips. Below we present a breakdown of inequalities in physical inactivity within Bury, as reported in the Active Lives Survey for the period November 2023 to November 2024:
- Deprivation:
The data from the Active Lives Survey (November 2023 to 2024) highlights a clear deprivation gradient in physical inactivity levels within Bury (Figure 10). As levels of deprivation increases, the proportion of physically inactive adults (less than 30 minutes) decreases. In the most deprived decile (decile 1), 38.2% of adults are classified as inactive. This proportion decreases steadily across the deprivation scale, reaching 17.8% in the least deprived decile (decile 10).
Figure 10: Percentage of physically inactive adults (less than 30 minutes) in Bury by deprivation decile during the period November 2023 to November 2024 (Active Lives Survey, 2024)
- Ethnicity
Data on ethnicity for Bury, available for the period November 2023 to November 2024, are limited to White British ethnic group only. During this period, 21.4% of adults from the White British group in Bury were classified as physically active, compared with 23.6% for the same group across England.
- Working status
Similarly, data on working status in Bury are only available for the categories of employed and retired adults, likely due to small sample sizes in other groups. Among employed adults in Bury, 16.9% were physically inactive, which is lower than the national average of 20.3%. For retired individuals, 38.2% in Bury were physically inactive, higher than the national figure of 32.1%.
Data from the Active Lives Survey (November 2023 to 2024) presents data for no disability or long-term health condition in Bury only. Among those without a disability, 17.7% are classified as physically inactive lower than the national average of 20.2% for England.
- Gender
Examining data by gender, 21.6% of males in Bury are classified as physically inactive (November 2023 to 2024) , which is lower than the national average of 23.7%. Among females, 27.5% in Bury are physically inactive, slightly above the national figure of 26.3%. The survey also includes a category for individuals identifying "in another way," though data for this group are not available for Bury, likely due to small sample sizes. Nationally, 33.2% of individuals in this category are physically inactive (Figure 11).
Figure 11: Percentage of physically inactive adults in Bury by gender during the period November 2023 to November 2024 (Active Lives Survey, 2024)
- Age
Data from the Active Lives Survey (November 2023 to 2024) by age groups in Bury are only available for the 55-74 years age group. In Bury, 23% of adults aged 55-74 years are classified as physically inactive, which is lower than the national average of 25.2%.
Percentage of physically active children and young people
The UK Chief Medical Officers' (CMOs') recommend that children and young people (5 to 18 years) are physically active for an average of at least 60 minutes per day across the week. The evidence suggests, however, that a significant proportion of adolescents do not meet this minimum standard.
Regular moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) improves health and fitness, strengthens muscles and bones, develops coordination, maintains healthy weight, improves sleep, makes you feel good, builds confidence and social skills and improves concentration and learning.
Good physical activity habits established in childhood and adolescence are also likely to be carried through into adulthood. If we can help children and young people to establish and maintain high volumes of physical activity into adulthood, we will reduce the risk of morbidity and mortality from chronic non communicable diseases later in their lives.
The percentage of children (5 to 15) undertaking an average of at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day across the week is a Key Performance Indicator for the Government’s sports strategy ‘Sporting Future: A new strategy for an active nation’.
The Active Lives Children and Young People (CYP) Survey is the only national data source for physical activity levels that is available at local authority level and the data will shape and influence local decision making as well as inform government policy on the Primary PE and Sports Premium, Childhood Obesity Plan and other cross departmental programmes.
Physical activity also forms a key component of the government’s plan for action to significantly reduce childhood obesity by supporting healthier choices, as outlined in ‘Childhood obesity: a plan for action’. One of the main aspects of the plan is to reduce childhood obesity by encouraging primary school children to eat more healthily and stay active.
Physically activity in CYP is measured as percentage of children aged 5 to 16 that meet the UK Chief Medical Officers' (CMOs') recommendations for physical activity (an average of at least 60 minutes moderate to vigorous intensity activity per day across the week).
For the year 2023/24, 49.2% of CYP in Bury were physically active, statistically similar compared with 47.8% in England for the same time period (Child and Maternal Health, 2025).
Looking at the trend over time in Bury, the proportion of physically active CYP declined from 42.5% in 2017/18 to a low of 38.1% in 2020/21. This was followed by a notable recovery, with activity levels rising by 9 percentage points to 47.1% in 2021/22 and continuing to increase to 49.2% in 2023/24 (Figure 12).
Nationally, England experienced some fluctuations in physical activity levels among CYP. The proportion rose from 43.3% in 2017/18 to 46.8% in 2018/19, then dipped to 44.6% in 2020/21. It rebounded to 47.2% in 2021/22, slightly decreased to 47.0% in 2022/23 and rose again to 47.8% in 2023/24.
Figure 12: Proportion (%) of physically active Children and Young People (CYP) for Bury and England for the period 2017/18 to 2023/24 (Child and Maternal Health, 2025)
Bury ranks 2nd in its group of 6 children services statistical neighbours with the highest proportion of physically active CYP in Stockton-on-Tees at 51.9% and lowest in Stockport at 42.4% (Child and Maternal Health, 2025).
There are no data on inequalities for Bury. Data by Sex for England suggests that there are higher (51.2%) proportion of males that are physically active compared with females (44.8%). The highest levels of physical activity in CYP in England by ethnicity are in White other and White British (both at 49.9%) and the lowest are in Black (42.3%) and Asian (43.1%). Comparing by school year group in England, the highest levels of physical activity is at 53% of Year 1 and 2 children, followed by 49% in Year 7 to Year 11. The lowest proportion is in Year 3 to Year 6 at 43.8%.
Obesity
Obesity is a global and complex public health concern. It is associated with reduced life expectancy and is a risk factor for a range of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, at least 12 kinds of cancer, liver, and respiratory disease, and can also impact on mental health. The risk and severity of these diseases increases with a higher body mass index (BMI). The proportion of adults in England living with obesity has seen large increases in the last four decades. Analysis of data from the 1980 National Heights and Weights Survey estimates that the prevalence of obesity in England stood at 6% of men and 9% of women aged 16 and over with 0.1% of men and 0.4% of women living with severe obesity. In 1993 the Health Survey for England reported that the prevalence of obesity among men and women in this age group was 13% and 16% respectively which has increased to 27% of men and 29% of women in 2019. Under the Health Mission, the Government is committed to prevention and to tackling obesity, creating a fairer, healthier food environment. This will contribute to the Mission goals of fewer lives lost to the biggest killers and a fairer Britain where everyone lives well for longer.
Understanding the data, the trends and patterns enables us to make the case for national and local action, which includes policy and approaches to create health promoting environments, healthier food and activity options, social marketing campaigns to support behaviour change and to work with partners to design and tailor approaches to meet needs of particular groups of people. This overweight (including obesity) indicator presents local authority estimates from Sport England's Active Lives Adult Survey data to help inform local action in preventing obesity and supporting people who are overweight or living with obesity. This indicator is linked to the percentage of adults (aged 18+) classified as obese indicator. These indicators should be used in conjunction to provide a greater understanding of those who are overweight or living with obesity. It is important to track the population's movement between BMI groups and to understand whether a high prevalence of overweight (including obesity) is driven by greater numbers of people living with obesity or severe obesity, or greater numbers in the overweight category.
Overweight (including obesity) prevalence in adults, (using adjusted self-reported height and weight)
This indicator is defined as the percentage of adults aged 18 and over classified as overweight or obese (BMI greater than or equal to 25kg/m²). For the year 2023/24, 65.3% of adults in Bury were classified as overweight (including obese), statistically similar to England average of 64.5%. Examining trends for Bury, the prevalence declined from 66.5% in 2015/16 to the lowest prevalence of 59.6% in 2018/19. This was followed by some fluctuations to 61.6% in 2020/21, after which there was period of increase to a peak of 67.2% in 2022/23, before declining to 65%. In England, the proportion in England increased steadily from the lowest prevalence of 61.2% in 2015/16 to 64.5% in 2023/24 (Figure 13). There are no trend data available based on the five most recent data points.
Figure 13: Overweight (including obesity) prevalence in adults, (using adjusted self-reported height and weight) for Bury and England from the year 2015/16 to 2023/24 (Obesity, physical activity and Nutrition, 2024)
Bury has the 4th lowest proportion of overweight (including obesity) prevalence in adults with the highest proportion in Stockton-on-Tees (76.1%) and lowest in Trafford (62.4%) (Obesity, physical activity and Nutrition, 2024).
There are no data on inequalities for Bury. Data for England are available for the year 2023/24 by levels of deprivation shows a deprivation gradient with increasing prevalence of overweight (including obesity) by increasing levels of deprivation. The highest prevalence is in the most deprived decile (71.2%) and lowest is in the least deprived decile (59.4%). Examining data by sex, there is higher prevalence of overweight (including obesity) in males compared with females in England.
Overweight and Obesity in children
Overweight and obesity in children, while being behavioural risks, are also a reflection of these wider determinants of health. These determinants shape not only the behavioural risk factors but also underscore the context in which these behaviours are nurtured. The socioeconomic status of a child's household can drive dietary choices, often resulting in reliance on affordable yet calorie-rich and nutrient-poor foodstuffs. This choice is reinforced by the wider food environment, such as the saturation of fast-food outlets. Education - both of the child and within the family - can define the understanding of balanced diets, importance of physical activity and the implications of excessive screen time. Moreover, the physical environment, or the extent of access to safe outdoor spaces for play and exercise, can substantially shape a child's physical activity levels. Simultaneously, societal norms and community infrastructures can propel or deter active living. Consequently, overweight and obesity in children, while being behavioural risks, are also a reflection of these wider determinants of health.
Living with excess weight during childhood appears to be linked to lower educational achievement and with a worse state of mental and emotional health, partly as a result of the stigma attached with obesity. The health consequences of childhood obesity include: increased blood lipids, glucose intolerance, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, increases in liver enzymes associated with fatty liver, exacerbation of conditions such as asthma and psychological problems such as social isolation, low self-esteem, teasing and bullying.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that childhood obesity strongly predicts adult obesity, with obese children and adolescents having a five-fold increased risk of being overweight as adults compared to non-obese individuals. Average life expectancy is decreased by about three years as a result of obesity and severe obesity can reduce life expectancy as much as by lifelong smoking by up to ten years (Azhar, 2023)
Reception: Prevalence of overweight (including obesity)
This indicator is defined as proportion of children aged 4-5 years classified as overweight or living with obesity. For population monitoring purposes children are classified as overweight (including obesity) if their body mass index (BMI) is on or above the 85th centile of the British 1990 growth reference (UK90) according to age and sex. The population monitoring cut-off points for overweight and obesity are slightly lower than the clinical cut-off points used to assess individual children, this is to capture those children with an unhealthy BMI for their age and those at risk of moving to an unhealthy BMI.
Prevalence of overweight (including obesity) in Buryfor the most recent year 2023/24 was 21.1%, statistically similar to England average of 22.1% (Child and Maternal Health, 2024).
Examining trend data for Bury from 2006/07 to 2023/24, prevalence of overweight (including obesity) gradually declined from 23% in 2006/07 to 18.5% in 2008/09. The subsequent years, however, experienced a gradual yet somewhat inconsistent upswing, punctuated by notable peaks at 24.1% in 2016/17 and 29.2% in 2020/21. There has been a decline each period from 29.2% in 2022/21 to 23.2% in 2021/22, 21.9% in 2022/23 and lately to 21.1% in 2023/24. A data gap exists for Bury in the 2019/20 period (Figure 14).
Data at the national level present a relatively consistent range of approximately 22.9% to 23.1% until 2020/21, when the data reflected a sharp rise to 27.7%. It decreased in 2021/22 to 22.3%, decreased again in 2022/23 to 21.3% but then rose slightly to 22.1% in 2023/24. Comparing Bury and England, Bury's rates were lower than England average from 2007/08 to 2015/16 (although statistically significant only for 2007 to 2010 and 2012 to 2014). However, Bury’s prevalence displayed a greater degree of fluctuation over time. Both Bury and England observed marked increases in 2020/21, with Bury showing a surge of 5.5% from the last recorded data in 2018/19 and England recording a 4.7% increase from the previous year. These escalations could be indicative of broader behavioural shifts, potentially prompted by the pandemic in 2020, which might have influenced diet patterns and physical activity levels among children (Child and Maternal Health, 2024).
Figure 14: Prevalence (%) of overweight (including obesity) in Reception for Bury and England from the period 2006/07 to 2023/24 (Child and Maternal Health, 2024)
Bury has the lowest prevalence (%) of overweight (including obesity) in its group of 6 statistical children service neighbours with the highest percentage in Sefton at 24.7% and 2nd lowest above Bury (21.1%) in Stockport at 21.4% (Child and Maternal Health, 2024). There are no data on inequalities at Bury level but England data suggests increasing prevalence of overweight (including obesity) with increasing levels of deprivation. The most deprived decile in England has a prevalence of 26.1% compared with 17.0% in the least deprived decile for the year 2023/24 (Child and Maternal Health, 2024). Data by ethnicity suggests highest prevalence of overweight (including obesity) in Black African (27.4%), followed by White Irish (26.7%) and White and Black Caribbean (26.6%). The lowest prevalence by ethnicity is in Chinese (10.3%), Indian (11.8%) and White and Asian (15.3%) (Child and Maternal Health, 2024). By Sex, males have a higher prevalence of 22.2% (statistically significant) compared with females (21.9%).
Reception: Prevalence of obesity (including severe obesity)
This indicator is defined as the proportion of children aged 4-5 years classified as living with obesity. For population monitoring purposes children are classified as living with obesity if their body mass index (BMI) is on or above the 95th centile of the British 1990 growth reference (UK90) according to age and sex.
Prevalence of obesity (including severe obesity) in Reception for Bury in 2023/24 was 8.8%, statistically similar to England average of 9.6% (Child and Maternal Health, 2024)
Trend data for Bury and England are available from 2006/07 to 2023/24. Obesity (including severe obesity) prevalence in Reception aged children in Bury ranged from 7.7% to 15.6%. Prevalence of obesity declined from 10% in 2006/07 to 7.7% in 2014/15. This was followed by an increase to 10.6% in 2016/17 with fluctuations until reaching a peak in 2020/21 to 15.6%, before declining in the following 3 periods to 8.8% in 2023/24. Obesity in England was fairly stable with slight fluctuations from 2006/07 to 2019/20. In 2020/21, the prevalence increased by 4.5% to 14.4%, before declining to 10.1% in 2021/22 and to 9.2% in 2022/23. It increased slightly in 2023/24 to 9.6%.
Both Bury and England observed marked increases in 2020/21, with Bury showing a surge of 5% from the last recorded data in 2018/19 and England recording a 4.5% increase from the previous year (Figure 15) (Child and Maternal Health, 2024)
Figure 15: Prevalence (%) of obesity (including severe obesity) in Reception for Bury and England from the period 2006/07 to 2023/24 (Child and Maternal Health, 2024)
Bury has the lowest prevalence of obesity (including severe obesity) in Reception in its group of 6 statistical children service neighbours with the highest prevalence in Sefton at 10.9% and 2nd lowest above Bury (8.8%) in Stockport at 9.0% (Child and Maternal Health, 2024).
There are no data on inequalities for Bury. Data on inequalities are available at England level by sex, ethnicity and deprivation. The data on obesity prevalence, inclusive of severe obesity cases, within England shows higher prevalence in males at 9.9% (statistically significant), as compared to females at 9.4%. Furthermore, when the data are stratified by ethnicity, the highest prevalence rates are among those from Black African (14.2%), any other black background (13.2%) and White and Black Caribbean (12.9%) ethnic groups. Conversely, the ethnic groups with the lowest prevalence rates include Chinese (4.4%), Indian (6.2%) and White and Asian background (6.3%), Data by deprivation shows a clear deprivation gradient with higher prevalence of obesity in the most deprived decile at 12.9% and lowest in the least deprived decile at 6.0%.
Year 6: Prevalence of overweight (including obesity)
This indicator measures the proportion of children aged 10-11 years classified as overweight or living with obesity. For population monitoring purposes children are classified as overweight (including obesity) if their body mass index (BMI) is on or above the 85th centile of the British 1990 growth reference (UK90) according to age and sex. The population monitoring cut-off points for overweight and obesity are slightly lower than the clinical cut-off points used to assess individual children, this is to capture those children with an unhealthy BMI for their age and those at risk of moving to an unhealthy BMI. Prevalence of overweight (including obesity) in Bury for the year 2023/24 was 35.5%, statistically similar to England average of 35.8% (Child and Maternal Health, 2024).
Examining trend data for Bury from 2006/07 to 2023/24, prevalence of overweight (including obesity) gradually increased from 29.5% in 2006/07 to 34.3% in 2018/19. There is a data gap for 2019/20 but data for 2021/21 shows the highest rate for over a decade at 41.2%. The most recent figure indicates a decline to 35.5% in 2023/24. (Child and Maternal Health, 2024).
Data at the national level follows a similar trend with increasing prevalence from 31.7% in 2006/07 to 35.3% in 2019/20. This was followed by a sharp rise to 40.9% in 2020/21. From 2021/21 prevalence of obesity (including overweight) decreased to 37.8% in 2021/22, to 36.6% in 2022/23 and it has fallen again in 2023/24 to 35.8%. Comparing Bury and England, Bury's rates were fairly similar to England average from 2007/08 to 2021/22, with the exception of 2011/12, where rates in Bury were lower (31.6%) than England average (33.9%) and again in 2022/23 when the rates for Bury (39.4%) were significantly worse than those for England (36.6%) (Figure 16) (Child and Maternal Health, 2024).
Figure 16: Prevalence (%) of overweight (including obesity) in Year 6 for Bury and England from the period 2006/07 to 2023/24 (Child and Maternal Health, 2024)
Bury has the 2nd lowest prevalence (%) of overweight (including obesity) (35.5%) in its group of 6 statistical children service neighbours with the highest percentage in Stockton-on-Tees at 38.6% and lowest in Stockport at 33.6% (Child and Maternal Health, 2024). There are no data on inequalities at Bury level but England data suggests increasing prevalence of overweight (including obesity) with increasing levels of deprivation. The most deprived decile in England has a prevalence of 43.3% compared with 25.2% in the least deprived decile for the year 2023/24 (Child and Maternal Health, 2024). Data by ethnicity suggests highest prevalence of overweight (including obesity) in Black African (46.0%), followed by Any other Black background (45.7%) and Black Caribbean (45.6%). The lowest prevalence by ethnicity is in Chinese (24.5%), White and Asian (34.2%) and White British (30.5%) (Child and Maternal Health, 2024). By Sex, males have a higher prevalence at 38.1% (statistically significant) compared with females (33.5%).
Year 6: Prevalence of obesity (including severe obesity)
This indicator measures proportion of children aged 10-11 years classified as living with obesity or severe obesity. For population monitoring purposes children are classified as living with obesity if their body mass index (BMI) is on or above the 95th centile of the British 1990 growth reference (UK90) according to age and sex.
Prevalence of obesity (including severe obesity) in Year 6 for Bury was 22.3%, statistically similar to England average of 22.1% (Child and Maternal Health, 2024)
Trend data for Bury and England are available from 2006/07 to 2023/24. Obesity (including severe obesity) prevalence in Year 6 children in Bury ranged from 15.1% to 25.8%. In 2006/07, prevalence was the lowest at 15.1% lower (statistically significant) than England average of 17.5% during the same period. Prevalence increased gradually until 2013/14, where it was 20.5%. This was followed by a decline to 17.2% in 2013/14, statistically significant and lower than England average of 19.1% during this period. This was followed by another period of gradual increase to 25.8% in 2020/21. No data are available for Bury in 2019/20 (due to COVID-19). The most recent data for 2023/24 suggests a decline from a high of 25.8% in 2020/21 to 22.3%.
Prevalence of obesity in England increased gradually from 17.5% in 2006/07 to 21% in 2019/20. This was followed by a sharp rise to 25.5% in 2020/21, before declining over subsequent periods to 22.1% in 2022/23 (Figure 17).
Figure 17: Prevalence (%) of obesity (including severe obesity) in Year 6 for Bury and England from the period 2006/07 to 2023/24 (Child and Maternal Health, 2024)
Both Bury and England observed marked increases in 2020/21, with Bury showing a surge of 4.6% from the last recorded data in 2018/19 and England recording a 4.5% increase from the previous year (Child and Maternal Health, 2024).
Bury has the 4th highest prevalence of obesity (including severe obesity) in Year 6 in its group of 6 statistical children service neighbours with the highest prevalence in Stockton-on-Tees at 24.6% and lowest in Stockport at 19.7% (Child and Maternal Health, 2024).
Keeping active in Bury
Keeping Fit & Active | The Bury Directory
Links
Active Lives | Home (sportengland.org)
Everybody active, every day: framework for physical activity - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Part 5: Physical activity - NDRS (digital.nhs.uk)
Physical Activity - Data - OHID (phe.org.uk)
Physical activity | Topic | NICE
Physical activity guidelines - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Physical activity: applying All Our Health - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)