Rise in obesity levels in primary school children raises diabetes concerns

Thu, 15 Dec 2011
News that NHS figures show an increase in obesity levels among children aged 10 and 11 in England raises concern about the effect of this diabetes risk factor will have on future numbers of people suffering from the metabolic condition.

The NHS reported that there are now 19 per cent of children who will leave primary school in 2012 that are classified as obese, a slight rise from 18.7 per cent level recorded in last year. It also revealed that obesity levels were greatest in London and the lowest in the home counties in the south of England, and was more prevalent in deprived and urban areas. However, it was shown that obesity was down to 9.4 per cent for children entering reception, a reduction from the 9.8 per cent recorded last year.

Information on about one million pupils was compiled by the National Child Measurement Programme, which examines the height and weight of primary school children in England by measuring them when in reception and again in their last year of primary.

Tim Straughan, chief executive of the NHS Information Centre, commented that the findings show that "while the proportion of four-to-five year olds who are obese has fallen, the opposite has happened among 10 and 11-year-olds."

He added "This means that while fewer than one in 10 children in Reception Year are obese; for children in their final year of primary school this prevalence is nearly one in every five."

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