One quarter of five-year-olds overweight or obese
Joe Lepper
Friday, February 22, 2008
Around a quarter of four to five-year-olds and a third of 10 and 11-year-olds are either overweight or obese according to newly published government figures.
Height and measurement checks on reception year classes found that 22.9 per cent of pupils were overweight and obese, with the figure rising to 31.6 per cent for year 6 pupils.
The results for 2006/7 show that boys are more likely than girls to be obese and that London has the highest prevalence of obesity for both age groups.
Areas with the lowest obesity rates include the south east coast, where 8.5 per cent of reception pupils were obese.
Eight out of ten reception and year 11 pupils took part in the checks, a 32 per cent jump in those measured the previous year.
The checks are part of the National Child Measurement Programme, which seeks to identify obese children and those at risk of obesity. The government has pledged £372m to combat obesity.
Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said: "We're not going to stem the tide overnight but through measures such as providing the right information and support to parents we hope to support families to lead healthier lives."
