A little research without going too deep...The US and UK obesity statistics are measured differently but the trends are similar. In the UK the “least deprived” are less likely to be obese than the “most deprived.” In the US it is the same but income levels are measured. In the US there is also wide variation by racial groups which I did not see published in the UK. But rolling it up as closely as I could find: UK obesity rates Boys 10-11 22% Girls 10-11 18% US obesity rates Boys 6-11 20.4% Girls 6-11 16.3% If the US has an issue with obesity being the main cause of dropping out of soccer then the UK must as well. And having had 4 kids play soccer, basketball, football, swimming, baseball and track I have seen kids leave the sport. I don’t think obesity makes the discussion list of reasons for dropping out. Not in any particular order I would put these in the discussion - like another sport better (more skilled at it, more successful in it, parent’s sport of choice, friends play it, etc.), region / state demographics, commitment required (FOMO), cost, burn-out, parental pressure, national team success. I don’t think obesity makes the list IMO. Not diminishing obesity as a big problem.
The subject of the Year 14 Soccer Dropout came up with a few of us parents at camp just last night. Obesity wasn’t an issue, but this was primarily parents of MPL/D1 type kids of which there aren’t many obese players. Social and economic issues were universal though. As with any sport- or many other activities really- the demands on time, dedication and money increase as age and difficulty progress, and choices have to be made. Sometimes non-athletic needs or desires win out…the need to work, non-athletic endeavors, focus on school, or the desire to have a social life. In regards to athletic decisions for American boys, it’s the need to winnow down to one or two sports. In that case soccer is often discarded as it is not woven into the socio-cultural strata like Friday Night Lights or Saturday on the hardwood. It is what it is, although I believe soccer can chip away at football in coming generations, as the violence and injury deter more and more parents. Its different for girls; no football of course, first and foremost. All women’s sports are lesser-hyped than their male counterparts though, so making the decision towards soccer does not carry the same social consequences. I suspect its not a coincidence that US Women do so much better internationally than the Men as a result.