One in five children finishing primary school obese

Campaign group the Obesity Health Alliance says children are surrounded by unhealthy food and drinks, and is calling for bold government action to prevent further harm.

NHS Digital data shows that 21% of Year 6 pupils, aged 10 or 11, in Herefordshire in 2018-19 were obese.

This was up on the 17% considered obese in 2006-07, the earliest year with available data.

Additionally, 14% of Year 6 children were overweight last year, the same percentage as in 2006-07.

That means 34% of the area's pupils in the last year of primary school were unhealthily overweight.

And 4% were severely obese, with a BMI in the top one-in-250 for children.

Caroline Cerny, of the Obesity Health Alliance, a coalition of organisations working to reduce obesity, said children are growing up in an environment that is "flooded" with unhealthy food and drinks, which are damaging their health.

She added: "It's time for the Government to bring in the measures that we know will stem the tide of unhealthy food marketing and promotions, starting with the long overdue 9pm watershed on junk food adverts on TV and online."

Obesity can lead to heart problems and type 2 diabetes later in life, as well as psychological issues such as low self-esteem and depression.

The data also suggests that children often develop weight problems while at primary school.

In 2018-19, just 10% of Herefordshire's children were obese when the started primary school in Reception.

Public health minister Jo Churchill said: "This problem has been decades in the making but we can turn this around.

"Our world-leading childhood obesity plan will help all families by making the healthiest choice the easiest choice, whether at home, at school, or at play.

"We are working with councils to tackle child obesity locally through new and ground-breaking programmes, cutting large amounts of sugar from food and soft drinks, and investing millions to give children opportunities to exercise in schools."