Kids piling on pounds (From Witney Gazette)

Kids piling on pounds

8:15am Friday 1st February 2008 in Headlines By Victoria Owen

ONE in five children in Oxfordshire is overweight when they start school and almost a third are classed as fat by the time they move to secondary education.

And a new study has also revealed eight per cent of four- and five-year-olds and 15 per cent of 10- to 11-year-olds in Year Six are clinically obese - where size has a direct effect on health.

Health experts said the figures showed the county was facing an obesity timebomb.

Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust has launched a wide-ranging fight against obesity as public improvement principal Angela Baker described the issue as the "new smoking" for the NHS.

Data collected in county classrooms last year by health workers showed that 12 per cent of four and five year olds were overweight, while another eight per cent of reception year pupils were classed as clinically obese.

In year six 13 per cent were overweight and 15 per cent were obese.

Mrs Baker said: "Since the 1980s obesity has tripled within England and it reduces life expectancy by nine years.

"We're less active, have more food choices, with higher sugar and higher fat.

"We're scared to go out for a walk after dark, we don't like our children playing in the street - and we certainly don't let them cycle to school on the roads.

"Obese children lead to obese adults, and obese parents lead to obese children, so we need to break the cycle."

The weights of between 85 to 89 per cent of reception year and year six pupils were collected in schools during the summer term of 2007.

The results - which are being treated as provisional until they have been age standardised by the Government - show that about 1,267 four to five year olds and 1,752 10-11 year olds alone are already too heavy.

The PCT will work with other county organisations, such as the county council, to combat the growing problem.

Mrs Baker said: "It's like the battle against smoking.

"I believe that in 10 years time we'll have a tax on high sugar and fatty foods, while other foods, like fruit and vegetables, will be subsidised or free of VAT. The Government will bring in legislation, but unlike smoking it'll be a carrot not a stick."

Lynn Knapp, headteacher of 400 pupil-strong Healthy Schools accredited Windmill Primary School, said: "We're trying to tackle what is a potential problem and I do believe children don't get enough exercise, which I think is due to increased computer and television use."