Increase in childhood obesity, says report

is “turn the struggling to tide” against childhood obesity – and the problem is worse than ever before.

According to a major annual report, 12.4% of four and five-year-old chil- dren in Wales were classed as obese in 2016-17.

This was deemed “statistically significantly higher” than 2015-16 (11.7%) and 2014-15 (11.6%) when obesity rates were lower.

The report’s authors also found children in the most deprived counties of Wales have a far higher chance of being obese than those in the most affluent.

A staggering 17.5% of four and five-year-olds in Merthyr Tydfil were deemed obese – the highest level in the country – followed by Blaenau Gwent (15.1%) and Conwy (14.4%).

In contrast, the Vale of Glamorgan (7.8%), Monmouthshire (8%) and Cardiff (10.7%) had the lowest levels of childhood obesity in Wales.

The Child Measurement Programme (CMP) is run by experts at Public Health Wales who record the heights and weights of children in their reception year of primary school.

They found fewer than three-quarters (72.2%) of children measured in Wales are of a healthy weight, with a “very small percentage” (0.8%) categorised as underweight.

With the problem of obesity remaining prevaWALES lent in children and younger people, Public Health Wales created the Every Child Wales programme in July 2017.

It was launched last year with the 10 Steps to a Healthy Weight programme to encourage parents to think about how they can be the best support for their child in their early years.

Natalie Field, consultant lead for the 10 Steps programme, said one of the major issues was the fact many parents fail to recognise when their child is a healthy weight.

She said: “The findings of the CMPunderline just how much work we have to do to turn the tide on these figures. We are concerned that parents and professionals may find it difficult to recognise when children are overweight as it is more commonplace than it once was.

“Our research shows that parents are more likely to identify children who are a healthy weight as underweight.

“This may give them false reassurance that their overweight or obese child is okay.

“Our hope is through a variety of initiatives throughout the year we can go some way to change this perception.”

She added that being overweight or obese can have a direct effect on children’s wellbeing – leading to low self-esteem, anxiety and depression.

Obesity can also lead to a range of other health problems in adulthood such as type two diabetes.

She added that Every Child Wales will continue to provide parents and carers with easily-accessible resources and practical advice to support the management of their child’s health and wellbeing.

The report, published yesterday, also looked at how many reception-aged children were classed as either overweight or obese.

It found 27.1% of children in Wales fell into this category, higher than any similar-sized regions in England.

The same is true of obesity prevalence which, at 12.4% in Wales, is statistically significantly higher than the 9.6% figure for England.