Primary School Obesity

Comment:

Although there have only been minimal rises in the number of primary school children classed as overweight or obese. Campaigners still say that this is not good enough and more needs to be done to completely stop this trend in its tracks.

Do you think enough is being done by the government, what would you suggest?

Research:

The new data released from the National Child Measurement Programme which looks at the weight of children in the UK has found very little change in the proportions of children who were overweight or obese. Although there were some slight increases they claim it backs up their view that child obesity levels are starting to level off.  

Looking in detail the results show that rates of obesity in the poorest parts of the country were nearly twice as high as those seen in the richest areas.

Figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre show that around a fifth or 22.6% of children in reception (aged 4-5) are overweight or obese. These figures are nearly identical to those from last year, but if you look more closely you can see a very small rise in the proportion who are classed as obese up to 9.5% from 9.4%.

However for children in year 6 (aged 10-11) there was a rise in the overall figures, those overweight or obese accounted for 33.9% up from 33.4% last year.

Although there have been no large rises in the number of overweight and obese children in primary school. That figures are still rising is not good enough, more needs to be done.

Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, said the government needed to focus on improving access to exercise as well as making healthy food more affordable for the poorest. “The government has totally let down a raft of children.”

But Public Health Minister Anna Soubry said the government was taking action.

She pointed out that through the responsibility deal, whereby food producers are making their products healthier, and via the Change4Life programme, which supports local projects that promote healthy lifestyles, progress was being made.

“Being overweight can do serious damage to our health so we must reduce levels in children to give them the best start in life.”

Original article can be found here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20693566