Healthier Essex

A digital platform to understand the state
of health and wellbeing across Greater Essex

For more information,
visit the Essex SDS Hub.

Tool by Prior + Partners | Site powered by Place+

Reading time:

15 minutes

Insights piece

“Good health is key to a good life, but whilst Essex has seen improvements in life expectancy over time this has not been experienced equally. Increasing evidence shows that the place we live, including our housing, public spaces, our workplace, the air we breathe and access to services, all shapes our health.

This digital platform is a tool to bring together data across Greater Essex to understand our state of health, understand the impact of our environment on health and explore how we can improve the health of everyone.”

Data gathered by Prior + Partners via (source)

Risks

Our start in life

[01 | Risks]

Childhood is our start in life with healthy habits, growth and development during these years having a lasting impact on our lives. However, across Essex over a fifth of Essex 4/5 year olds and over a third of 10/11 year olds are overweight or obese and there are also large differences across the Strategic Authority.

Age 4-5

21%

Age 10-11

35%

overweight or obesehealthy weight
overweight or obesehealthy weight

[02 | Risks]

Areas experiencing higher levels of deprivation such as Tendring and central Braintree also show higher rates of childhood obesity. Excess weight can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and joint problems later in life whilst also affecting a child’s self-esteem and mental wellbeing.

Age 10-11, by Essex district (placeholder figures)

Behaviours

Other title here

[01 | Behaviours]

Childhood is our start in life with healthy habits, growth and development during these years having a lasting impact on our lives. However, across Essex over a fifth of Essex 4/5 year olds and over a third of 10/11 year olds are overweight or obese and there are also large differences across the Strategic Authority.

Year 6 children | Severe obesity

Time-series

Percent
6 5 4 3 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25

Source: