An Urban Health Report on Childhood Obesity in Brixton

This urban health report examines the issue of childhood obesity in Brixton, a district in South London. It begins by highlighting the significance of urban health outcomes and the 'sick city hypothesis,' linking childhood obesity to socioeconomic factors and health disparities. The report presents demographic data from Brixton, including ethnicity, language, religion, marital status, and employment, to analyze potential correlations with obesity rates. Data from various tables are provided to show health ratings, property ownership, educational qualifications, social grades, age distribution, immigration details, and unemployment benefits. The report also presents observation data, including the number of institutions like gyms, parks, restaurants, and fast-food centers, and provides statistics on the distribution of children by weight groups in Lambeth. The analysis reveals that the ethnically diverse population of Brixton may be more susceptible to childhood obesity due to discrimination and limited access to resources. Socioeconomic factors, such as low rates of residential ownership and high unemployment rates, are identified as significant risk factors. The report concludes by emphasizing the need for intervention to address childhood obesity as a critical urban health issue in Brixton.

Running head: AN URBAN HEALTH REPORT ON CHILDHOOD OBESITY IN BRIXTON
AN URBAN HEALTH REPORT ON THE HEALTH ISSUE OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY IN
BRIXTON
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1AN URBAN HEALTH REPORT ON THE HEALTH ISSUE CHILDHOOD OBESITY IN BRIXTON
Introduction
According to the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH 2019), it has
been estimated that one out of every five children are inflicted with obesity or overweight during
their progression from primary to secondary schooling years. The following urban health report
will extensively and elaborately shed light on childhood obesity in Brixton, a South London
district present in Lambeth. This report will focus upon key demographic data and observation
data which reflect the urban health issue (UHI) of childhood obesity in Brixton followed by a
succinct analysis of presence of the identified UHI.
Discussion
Rationale
According to the World Health Organization (WHO 2010), the measurement of urban
health outcomes, is one of the most critical yet efficient determinants of a country’s overall status
of health, disease and wellbeing. This is because, a majority of the global population resides in
urban regions – a trend which is undergoing rapid expansion and has been estimated by the
WHO to be increasing to 6 from 10 individuals living in urban areas by the year 2030 (WHO
2010). Further, urban areas like cities and metropolitans, with their rapidly expansion
recreational, residential, healthcare and educational infrastructures, symbolize prosperity and
quality lifestyle within a country. Urban regions are one of the most prominent areas of
healthcare disparities. This is because a major contributor of population rise in urban areas is
migration of unemployed, low income families from rural areas who are then compelled to reside
in unhygienic and overly crowded slums which further contribute to an ‘urban health penalty’ -
the vicious cycle of disparities concerning poverty, unemployment and chronic disease rates

2AN URBAN HEALTH REPORT ON THE HEALTH ISSUE CHILDHOOD OBESITY IN BRIXTON
between the urban poor and urban affluent (Kim and Kawachi 2016). Such an urban health
penalty in the form of an urban sprawl highlight the prevalence of a ‘sick city hypothesis’ – a
condition of increased poor health outcomes in urban regions as compared to rural areas. The
sick city hypothesis is a concerning issue in this urban health report due to the link between
childhood obesity risk and social and economic determinants of health (Clark 2017).
A key reason contributing to childhood obesity is the prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle
and poor food selection by children and their parents where more often than not, children are
encouraged to consume convenience, processed and packaged foods rich in added sugars, fats
and sodium. However, risk of childhood obesity is associated with socioeconomic and cultural
factors (Olstad et al. 2016). Families living in poverty or belonging to economically
underprivileged communities are likely to be deprived of healthcare services and educational
resources due to financial constraint thus increasing their risk of chronic diseases, underreporting
and obesity. Additionally, such financial constraints are likely to compel the urban poor to opt
for inexpensive fast or energy dense foods rich in calories and fats thus paving the way for
increased incidence of obesity and chronic diseases across deprived urban populations (Chung et
al. 2016). Such health disparities are likely to be aggravated in case of ethnically diverse
communities since prevalence of stereotyping and discrimination are likely to deprive
employment opportunities for parents of such families and as a result, pave the way for limited
nutritionally balanced food choices for their children (Juonala et al. 2019).
Thus, such as socioeconomic disparities strengthen the notion of childhood obesity being
an example of sick city hypothesis. The association between an individual’s socioeconomic
status and risk of obesity and its adverse metabolic consequences is the rationale underlying the
need to address childhood obesity as a critical and alarming UHI. Indeed, as per the National

3AN URBAN HEALTH REPORT ON THE HEALTH ISSUE CHILDHOOD OBESITY IN BRIXTON
Health Service (NHS), prevalence rates of childhood obesity have been reported to be twice as
much in deprived regions of England as compared to regions which were least deprived (NHS
2019). Further, the London borough of Lambeth, one of whose district wards include Brixton –
have been reported to be one of the 9th and 29th most deprived local regions on London as well
as out of the total 33 wards in England. Such statistics further form the rationale underlying the
need to address childhood obesity as a major UHI in Brixton (Lambeth Government 2015).
Childhood obesity also results in adverse metabolic and economic consequences across
both individual and national levels. When left uncontrolled, the symptoms of childhood obesity
aggravate to increase the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular
disorders, cancer, renal disorders and even mental health issues like depression and loss of self-
esteem during adulthood. Not only do these issues hinder quality of life during adulthood but
also instill financial constraints on the individual as well as the federal government (Rogers et al.
2015). The NHS incurs approximately £ 6.1 billion as a result of treatment of case pertaining to
obesity. Further, according to the Obesity Health Alliance, approximately 7.6 million cases have
been reported to be linked to obesity and overweight. Thus, the adverse consequences associated
with obesity and their implications on individual and population health and economy, form the
rationale underlying the need to address childhood obesity as a UHI in Brixton (The Association
of UK Dietitians 2019).
Profiling and Description: Analysis, Interpretation and Discussion
Table 1: Demographics of Brixton Hill, London Borough of Lambeth (Source: Local Stats
United Kingdom 2019)
Population (as per census of 2011)
Parameter/Groups Number/Percentage Distribution
Total 15842

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Males 7921
Females 7921
Population Distribution by Ethnicity
English 59.02%
Jamaican 4%
South American 2.90%
Irish 2.10%
Nigerian 1.90%
Australian 1.80%
Scottish 1.70%
Ghanaian 1.40%
Welsh 1.10%
American 0.70%
Others 23.20%
Population Distribution by Language
English 81.3 %
Portuguese 3.0%
Spanish 2.50%
Polish 1.80%
French 1.80%
Italian 1.30%
Somali 0.70%
German 0.60%
Arabic 0.40%
Akan 0.40%
Other 6.20%
Population Distribution by Religion
Christian 49.80%
No Religion 32.20%
Muslim 5.80%
Buddhist 1.20%
Hindu 0.60%
Jewish 0.40%
Atheist 0.10%
Sikh 0.10%
Other 9.80%
Population Distribution by Marital Distribution
Married 19.4%
Co-habiting (opposite sex partners) 13.2%
Co-habiting (same sex partners) 2.6%
Single 51.2%
Separated/Divorced 8.5%
Widowed 4.5%
Population Distribution by Health Professionals
Professional 26.4%

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Associate professional and technical 22.7%
Business, media and public service
professionals
11.5%
Administrative and Secretariat 10.0%
Managers, directors and senior officials 10.0%
Elementary 9.2%
Elementary administration and Service 8.8%
Culture, media and sports 7.7%
Caring, leisure and other service 7.3%
 Average Age: 33 years
 Median Age: Less than 31 years
Table 2: Self-Reported Health rating across Brixton inhabitants (Source: Lambeth
Government 2016)
Rating of Health Population Distribution
(Brixton)
Population Distribution
(England)
Very Good 52.90% 47.17%
Good 32.10% 34.22%
Fair 10.29% 13.12%
Bad 3.54% 4.25%
Very Bad 1.17% 1.25%
Table 3: Statistics of Rentals and Ownership of Property (Source: Lambeth Government
2016)
Property Characteristics Population Distribution
(Brixton)
Population (England)
Owned 11.4% 30.6%
Mortgaged 21.6% 32.8%
Shared 1.5% 0.8%
Rental Socially (Council) 19.6% 9.4%
Rented Socially (Housing
Association)
15.5% 8.3%
Rented Privately 27.7% 15.4%
Others 1.6% 1.4%
Free of Rent 1.1% 1.3%

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Table 4: Educational Qualifications (Source: Lambeth Government 2016)
Educational Qualifications Population Distribution
(Brixton)
Population Distribution
(England)
Unqualified 14.2 % 22.5%
Level 1 8.5% 13.3%
Level 2 9.8% 15.2%
Apprenticeship 1.1% 3.6%
Level 3 9.7% 12.4%
Level 4 46.6% 27.4%
Others 10.1% 5.7%
Table 5: Statistics of Social Grade and Occupation (Source: Lambeth Government 2016)
Grades Population Distribution
(Brixton)
Population Distribution
(England)
AB 32.12% 22.96%
C1 32.90% 30.92%
C2 12.84% 20.64%
DE 22.14% 25.49%
Table 6: Distribution of Age (Source: Lambeth Government 2016)
Distribution of Age Population Distribution
(Brixton)
Population Distribution
(England)
0 to 4 years 6.8% 6.3%
5 to 9 years 5.4% 5.6%
10 to 14 years 4.9% 5.8%
15 to 17 years 2.8% 3.7%
18 to 24 years 10.6% 9.4%
25 to 29 years 14.2% 6.9%
30 to 44 years 28.8% 20.6%
45 to 59 years 15.8% 19.4%
60 to 64 years 3% 6%
65 to 74 years 4.2% 8.6%
75 to 84 years 2.5% 5.5%
85 years and above 0.9% 2.3%
Mean Age 33 years 39.3 years
Median Age 31 years 39 years

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Table 7: Immigration Details (Source: Lambeth Government 2016)
Country of Origin Population Distribution
(Brixton)
Population Distribution
(England)
United Kingdom 61.1% 86.2%
Republic of Ireland 1.9% 0.7%
Other countries in the
European Union
11.1% 3.7%
Outside the European Union 25.8% 9.4%
Table 8: Unemployment and Benefits (Source: Lambeth Government 2016)
Benefits Population Distribution
(Brixton)
Population Distribution
(England)
Jobseekers Allowance 4.7% 3.3%
Benefits for Incapacity 2.4% 2.4%
Others (work benefits) 14.2% 13.5%
Table 9: Population Distribution by Age and Ward (Source: Lambeth Government 2015)
Town
Centre
Wards 0-19 20-39 40-64 65 + Total
Brixton
Town
Centre
Coldharbour 4245 7116 4967 1052 17380
Ferndale 2168 9166 3755 945 16034
Herne Hill 3476 6941 4540 1131 16088
Tulse Hill 3814 6958 4526 1088 16386
Brixton Hill 2833 8535 4115 1145 16628
Table 10: Number of Children by age and ward (Source: Lambeth Government 2016)
Ward <1 1 to 4
years
5 to 9
years
10 to
14
years
15 to
19
years
Less
than
20
years
Under
18
years
18 to
24
years
All age
groups
Brixton
Hill
211 746 732 597 547 2833 2602 1658 16628

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The chosen district for the aforementioned health report is Brixton – a district located in
south London and in Lambeth (Lambeth Government 2016). The following data demonstrates
the demographics of Brixton’s population and possible association with the UHI of childhood
obesity. The data has been sourced from a range of online governmental resources online to
ensure authenticity. Brixton’s population has a rich cultural, linguistic and ethnic diversity and a
commendable section of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities (Table 1,
Table 7). Such ethnic diversity may be a key contributing factor to the rising urban health
penalty and childhood obesity in Brixton and the associated emergence of sick city hypothesis. It
has been evidenced that children belonging to ethnically diverse minority communities are
highly susceptible to childhood obesity due to discrimination and as a result, reduced
affordability and accessibility to nutritionally balanced food and healthcare services (Nau et al.
2015). The higher health rating of ‘very good’ as compared to national values possibly
demonstrate higher healthcare standards and service availability in Brixton (Table 2). However,
the low rates of residential ownership (mortgage, owned) as compared to England may indicate
poverty – a key socioeconomic factor which restricts balanced diet intake and healthcare
accessibility and thus, is linked to high childhood obesity risk (Table 3). However, Brixton’s
population demonstrates low rates of illiteracy and higher employee concentration in
professional and administrative roles as compared to national rates thus indicative of an absence
of employment and educational disparities (Krueger and Reither 2015) (Table 4, Table 5).
However, high rates of unemployment based allowance users in Brixton as compared to
England, indicates significant prevalence of unemployment or lack of job opportunities,
economic deprivation and high obesity risk (Table 8). Such socioeconomic disparities are a

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major concern in Brixton considering the relatively young population and high concentration of
children and youth (Tables 6, 9 and 10) (Bilger, Kruger and Finkelstein 2017).
Observation Data: Analysis, Interpretation and Discussion
Table 11: Institutions in Brixton (Soruce: Google Maps 2019)
Institutions Number
Gyms 180
Parks 120
Early Years/Children’s Centre 5
Schools 180
Children’s Gyms/Fitness Centers 9
Children’s Hospitals 2
Child Counselors 60
Weight Loss centers specializing in child
health
3
Total number of institutions specializing in child health: 561
Restaurants 200
Fast Food Centers 180
Cafés 140
Eateries specializing in children’s meals 6
Family Restaurants 180
Shopping Malls 160
Total number of institutions specializing in fast food and recreational activities: 866
Table 12: Population Distribution of Children (%) by weight groups in Lambeth (Source:
Lambeth Government 2016)
Years Underweight Healthy Weight Overweight Obese
2009-2010 1.1% 72.5% 13.5% 12.9%
2010-2011 1.9% 72.7% 13.2% 12.1%
2011-2012 1.6% 75.5% 12.2% 10.7%
2012-2013 1.0% 75.2% 11.9% 11.9%
2013-2014 1.0% 74.4% 12.6% 12.0%
2014-2015 1.3% 75.0% 13.6% 10.1%
2015-2016 1.2% 75.5% 12.3% 11.1%
2016-2017 1.2% 74.4% 14.0% 10.4%
2017-2018 1.5% 74.6% 13.3% 10.5%

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Table 13: Summary of Health based inequities across children and overall population in
Lambeth (Source: Lambeth Government 2016)
Across children in Lambeth Borough of Lambeth
 Approximately 60% of Lambeth’s
children below the age of 20 years
belong to Black and Minority Ethnic
groups (BAME).
 These include: 10% of Black
Caribbean, 18% of Black African and
21% of other Black ethnicity.
 Lambeth has a rank of 8 and 17 in
London as well as England on the
Child Poverty Index.
 Other child ethnicity groups include:
Chinese (37%), Indians (26%), Asians
(28%), Whites (27%) and Others
(27%).
 Brixton has the 3rd highest population
of children aged 1 to 4 years across
the whole of Lambeth.
 Approximately of children below the
age of 20 years have been reported to
live in poverty.
 Approximately 20 to 30% of the
population of children in poverty
reside in Brixton.
 Coldharbour, a ward of Brixton Town
Centre, is the most deprived,
comprising of 40% of the population
of children living in poverty across
Lambeth
 Reported to be ranked as 29th in the
most deprived local authorities in
England.
 Ranked 9th as one of the most deprived
boroughs of Lambeth.
 Approximately 37% of the population
of Lambeth has been reported to
reside in England’s most Lower Layer
Super Output Areas (LSOAs).
 Twice as densely populated than
London and ranked 5th most densely
populated areas in London
Approximately 16 children and 4 Year 6 children out of 100, were reported to obese and
severely obese in England, of which children residing in economically deprived regions were
affected disproportionately (Chief Medical Officer 2019). According to a recent statistical
publication by the NHS, the highest rates of childhood obesity have been reported to occur in
economically deprived regions as compared to least deprived regions (Figure 1) (NHS 2019).
Considering that Lambeth, where Brixton is located, has been reported as 9th and 29th most

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deprived locality in London and England, it can be assumed that Brixton significantly contributes
to high national rates of childhood obesity (Table 13) (Lambeth Government 2016). Indeed, the
reported high number of the malls, restaurants and fast food centers as compared to the number
of institutions catering to child health is a concerning factor contributing to reduced accessibility
to healthcare services and high childhood obesity in Brixton (Table 11). This is because these
areas demonstrate high availability of inexpensive, nutritionally imbalanced takeaway meals
convenient for families which result in high childhood obesity (Lissner et al. 2016). A high
influx of BAME populations in Lambeth further strengthen the possibility of high childhood
obesity in Brixton (Table 13) considering the prevalence of economic constraints, unhealthy food
consumption and low healthcare accessibility in discriminated, minority populations. Indeed, the
data evidences Brixton’s contribution to approximately 40% of Lambeth’s children residing in
poverty (Table 13). Such economic deprivation and lack of significant reductions in obesity and
overweight populations in Lambeth (Table 12) coupled with high population influx (Table 13)
may be a key contributor of urban health penalty and the UHI of childhood obesity in Brixton as
per the sick city hypothesis (Zilanawala et al. 2015).