Rising child obesity creating a ‘multi-billion-pound ill-health time bomb’

The number of ten- and 11-year-olds classed as severely obese in the final year of primary school is nearly double that of those in reception class- es, new analysis has found.

Figures show more than 22,000 out of 556,000 of children in Year 6 are classed as severely obese – the most overweight on the government’s scale – almost twice that of the nearly 15,000 out of 629,000 children of four- and five yearolds classed as severely obese,

The Local Government Association (LGA), which obtained the figures, said this shows children are gaining weight at a drastic rate as they go through schools.

The LGA, which represents 370 councils in England and Wales, warned the severe child obesity rates are contributing to a “multi-billion-pound illhealth time bomb”.

Severe obesity puts people at serious health risks, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. It can also shorten a person’s life by ten years – an equivalent loss to the effects of life-long smoking.

The first data of its kind for 2016-17, obtained by the LGA and supplied by the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP), shows a total of 22,646 out of 556,452 of ten- and 11 year-olds are classed as severely obese, nearly twice the 14,787 out of 629,359 four- and five-yearold children in reception class.