Childhood obesity on the rise

MORE than a third of pupils in their final year of primary school in Oldham are classed as overweight or obese, according to new figures.

Statistics from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) show that during the 2013-2014 school year, 21.8 per cent of year six pupils in the borough were classed as obese on the Body Mass Index (BMI) scale, while a further 14.2 per cent were categorised as overweight.

In Greater Manchester, only Manchester recorded a higher level of obesity among children aged 10 to 11, with 25 per cent classed as obese.

Figures from the National Child Measurement Programme showed that Oldham recorded a higher level of obesity than both the North-West (19.8 per cent) and England (19.1 per cent) averages.

The study also examined pupils in the reception class in Oldham schools where 23.8 per cent were classed as overweight or obese.

These figures were only slightly above the North-West average (23.6 per cent) and average for England (22.6 per cent).

Nationally, the figures show obesity is most prevalent among children in deprived areas of the country with the levels of obesity in year six pupils ranging from 11.1 per cent in Richmond upon Thames to 26.7 per cent in Southwark.

HSCIC Chair Kingsley Manning said: “Today’s figures are important to improving understanding of obesity in children.

“They show a clear difference in levels of obesity depending on where children live, with the most deprived areas of England seeing the highest prevalence.

“This information will be of use nationally by policy makers and locally by health professionals and organisations in the commissioning of services, as well as in raising awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle among families.”