World News – GB – One in six Dorset primary school leavers are obese

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Around one in six children in Dorset finishes primary school with obesity, new figures show

The Royal College of GPs has said that access to healthy food « should be a right, not a privilege », as a study found that children in the most disadvantaged areas of England are more than twice as likely to  » be obese than those of the less deprived

NHS Digital figures show 166% of Dorset 6th graders in 2019-20 were obese, 29% of which were severely obese, with a body mass index (BMI) in the top 04% for age and gender of a child

This means 309% of young people in Dorset are unhealthy overweight by the end of primary school

The data comes from the government’s annual National Child Measurement Program – part of its approach to tackling obesity – which records the height and weight of grade 6 and receiving-age children in public schools through England to monitor obesity trends

It found that 275% of children aged 10 and 11 living in the most deprived areas of England were obese compared to 119% of those living in the less deprived areas.

Among children of reception age, 133% in the most disadvantaged areas were obese compared to 6% in the least disadvantaged areas

Professor Rachel Batterham, Special Advisor on Obesity for the Royal College of GPs, said the impact of deprivation on rates of childhood obesity nationwide is « alarming »

She said: “Access to healthy food should be a right, not a privilege

« The gap in the prevalence of obesity between children in the most disadvantaged and less disadvantaged areas is glaring and growing »

“It is clear that socio-economic factors such as underemployment or poverty play a key role in obesity and poor health, and that a whole-of-government approach is essential to reduce health inequalities and obesity rate »

Across England, the prevalence of obesity among host and 6th graders rose to 9 in 2019-20209% and 21% respectively

Caroline Cerny, Alliance Manager at Obesity Health Alliance, said: “These results are not good news for children’s health.

“In a year when public health has been propelled to the forefront of politics, we must now act on children’s health – not just words

« Getting junk food out of the spotlight through restrictions on marketing and promotions – including the long overdue 21 hour watershed on junk food ads – should be the first step The sooner we act, the sooner we can give all children the chance to grow up healthy  »

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Obesity, Dorset, school, primary school, overweight