Call for action after figures show extent of child obesity problem
Nearly one in four children in Sunderland are classed as obese by the time they finish primary school, new figures reveal.
The Royal College of GPs says access to healthy food "should be a right and not a privilege," after a study found children in the more deprived areas are more than twice as likely to be obese than those in better-off parts of the country.
NHS Digital figures show 23.5% of Year 6 pupils in the city in 2019-20 were obese – of which 6.1% were classed as severely obese.
Another 13.2% were found to be overweight.
That means 36.7% of Sunderland’s youngsters are unhealthily overweight when they finish primary school.
The data comes from the G ove r n m e nt's a n nu a l National Child Measurement Programme.
It re c o rd s th e h ei g ht a n d we i g ht o f Yea r 6 a n d re c e pt i o n- a ge c h i l d re n i n state-maintained schools to monitor obesity trends.
It revealed that 27.5% of 10 and 11-year-olds living in the most deprived areas were obese compared to 11.9% of those living in less deprived areas.
A m o n g re c e pt io n- a ge children, 13.3% in the most deprived areas were obese compared to 6% in the least deprived.
Professor Rachel Batterham, special adviser on obe
sity for the Royal College of GPs, said the impact of deprivation on childhood obesity
rates nationally is "alarming".
S h e s a i d : "A c c e s s t o healthy food should be a right
and not a privilege.
"The gap in obesity prevalence between children from the most deprived and least deprived areas is stark and growing.
"It is clear that socio-economic factors such as underemployment or poverty play a key role in driving obesity and poor health.”
Caroline Cerny, alliance lead at Obesity Health Alliance, said: “In a year when public health has been propelled to the forefront of politics, we now need action on child health – not just words.
“Taking junk food out of th e s p o tl i g ht th roug h re - strictions on marketing and promotions – including the long-overdue 9pm watershed on junk food adverts – should be the first step.
“The sooner action is taken, the sooner we can give all children the chance to grow up healthy."