12.12.12
Child obesity rises slightly – HSCIC
One in three children in their final year of primary school are overweight or obese, new statistics show.
The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) found that 33.9% of children in Year 6, generally aged 10-11, were obese or overweight in 2011/12, up from 33.4% in the previous year.
The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) also measures children in their first year of primary school, reception year, where they are generally aged four to five.
The proportion of reception year children who were obese or overweight remained at 22.6%.
Regionally, the North East SHA had the highest recorded prevalence for overweight or obese reception year children, at 24.5%. The South East Coast had the lowest prevalence at 20.75%.
For Year 6 children, London had the highest prevalence at 37.5%, while South Central and South East Coast had the lowest at 30.8%.
The prevalence of obesity increased in relation to the level of deprivation of the area, and black British children were most likely to be obese, whilst Chinese were the least likely for both age groups.
HSCIC chief executive Tim Straughan said: “The figures show that the proportion of Year 6 children who are either overweight or obese appears to be still increasing slightly.
“This differs from the picture for reception year children for whom prevalence of obesity remains level.
“The National Child Measurement Programme measures more than one million children and is the most robust snapshot of obesity levels among children in England.
“While this year’s figures will be of major interest to parents, health care providers and policy makers, next year’s report will be particularly noteworthy because it will be the first time a high proportion of the Year 6 children measured by the programme will have also been measured as reception year pupils.”
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