December 14, 2011
Report shows rise in obesity among final year primary school
children
The proportion of children in England who are
obese in their final year of primary school is rising, new NHS
Information Centre figures show.
In 2010/11 19.0 per cent of Year 6 children measured as part of
the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP)
were obese, compared to 18.7 per cent in 2009/10 and 17.5 per cent
in 2006/7.
Obese children are more likely to become obese adults
Tracy Parker, our Heart
Health Dietitian, said:
“This is a really sad statistic. It is a shame
that even more of our children are finishing primary school
obese.
“It has been shown obese children are more
likely to become obese adults. And obesity in adults is associated
with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. We’ve got to
realise that children’s food and lifestyle choices today could have
long term consequences on their future health.
“That’s why our Food4Thought
campaign is encouraging parents, kids, teachers and
politicians to all think carefully about the food the next
generation are eating, and the amount of exercise they're getting
each day.”
As part of the Food4Thought campaign, the BHF ran a survey into
children’s eating habits which had some alarming
findings. The survey found kids are turning their back on fruit and
veg in favour of snacks laden with fat, salt and sugar, as a
regular part of their daily diet.
We are now working with 30 schools
across the UK to set up healthy vending
machines. We aim to encourage school
pupils to eat healthier snacks and meals during the school day as
part of our plan to tackle childhood obesity.
The NCMP report was published online by the
NHS.