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Press Release

Report shows rise in obesity among final year primary school children

14 December 2011

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.

“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.



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