The data indicate that this drop has barely occurred in children belonging to families with gross incomes of less than 18,000 euros per year, where the rates of overweight and obesity have remained stable since 2011, when the first study was carried out.

In the data that have been advanced, corresponding to the year 2023, the fact that the rate measuring excess child weight has fallen by 4.5% compared to 2019, the year in which the last ALADINO study was published, stands out.

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Excess child weight in Spain falls by 4.5 points but hardly falls in lower-income families

This drop of more than four percentage points means that there has been a reduction of 3.1% in overweight and 1.4% in obesity among boys and girls aged 6 to 9 years so that the current rate of excess weight in this age group now stands at 36.1% compared to 40.6% five years ago.

The ALADINO study shows that these rates of child overweight and obesity have hardly decreased among schoolchildren belonging to families with a gross income of less than 18,000 euros per year. As can be seen in the advanced data, the rates of overweight and obesity among schoolchildren belonging to families with lower incomes have remained stable since 2011, when the first study was carried out.

In the preview of data presented in this ALADINO Study, the first to be carried out since the COVID-19 pandemic, figures were given that underline inequality as a factor that, in the words of the minister, affects health:

Insufficient breakfasts. The percentage of schoolchildren who have more than a drink for breakfast each day is 17 points lower among lower-income families (61%) than among higher-income families (78%).
Shortage of fruit and vegetables. Consumption of fruit and vegetables daily decreases among lower-income households. Overall, only 45.3% of schoolchildren eat fruit every day and the percentage is almost halved for daily vegetable consumption: 23.8%.
Too many screens. In lower-income families, the percentage of children who spend more than 2 hours a day in front of a screen (41.4%) is double that of higher-income families (22.8%). In global terms, three out of ten schoolchildren (30.0%) spend more than 2 hours in front of a screen every day, thus increasing sedentary lifestyles.
Fewer extracurricular activities. The percentage of children who do at least two hours of extracurricular activities per week falls by more than 20 points in lower-income households (64.2%) compared to higher-income households (88.1%).

It was stressed that the Royal Decree on school canteens will guarantee that the five meals eaten each week in schools will be healthy, thus ensuring a varied and balanced diet.

It has been reported that this study has been carried out among schoolchildren aged 6 to 9 years living in Spain, based on questionnaires completed by families and schools. In total, 12,678 interviews of this type were carried out, distributed proportionally throughout the country’s autonomous communities, reaching 296 schools.