One in five obese by age of 11
Feb 22 2008 by Audrey Barton, The Journal
ONE in five children aged 10 and 11 in the North East are obese, government figures revealed last night.
Around 84% of children aged four and five in reception classes and aged 10 and 11 in year six were measured across the region as part of a scheme to fight obesity, Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said yesterday.
The National Child Measurement Programme, established in 2005, checks children’s height and weight to enable local health services to identify children who are, or who are in danger of becoming, obese.
In the North-East over 14%, or one in seven, of reception children are overweight and more than 10% are obese. Close to one in six of year six children are overweight and one in five are obese.
The results are below the national figures, recorded in 2006/07, which show one in four children were overweight or obese in reception classes and one in three children were over weight in year six.
In both national age groups, boys are more likely to be obese and London had the highest obesity prevalence for both age groups.
Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said: “I’m very pleased that the North East has exceeded our target to get 80% of children weighed and measured.
“It’s clear that parents in the North East understand just how important it is for us to be able to able to look out for those children who are in danger of becoming obese and help them to live long and happy lives.”
The recently published obesity strategy – backed by £372m Government funding – aims to help everyone lead healthier lives. There is a particular focus on children with an aim to reduce the proportion of those who are overweight and obese to 2000 levels by 2020.
Work under way in the North East to tackle obesity includes healthy eating and exercise programmes, family-friendly cooking lessons in the community and promotion of healthier eating in schools.
Action on obesity is also highlighted in the Better Health, Fairer Health strategy, which aims to make people living in the region the healthiest in the country within a generation.
