A new report by The Food Foundation reveals alarming declines in UK children’s health, including a drop in height growth since 2013. With nutrition, genetics and environment all playing a role, the findings highlight an urgent need for action. This article considers some of the research and looks at the factors that influence foetal growth.

In June of this year, The Food Foundation published its report A Neglected Generation: Reversing the decline in children’s health) The report made for sobering reading, highlighting data across a range of health parameters including obesity rates, type 2 diabetes prevalence and life expectancy at birth. Across all of these, current trajectories are concerning. One of the report’s key findings was that height growth in children in the UK has been declining since 2013.