According to Cancer Research UK, in the last 10 years a staggering 1.7 million children in England were overweight or obese when they started secondary school.
The statistics were compiled by the charity for World Obesity Day, and revealed that between 2005/06 and 2014/15, there were 1.7 million children starting Year 7 in England with a BMI above the ‘normal’ range.
Meanwhile, in Scotland, around 83,000 four- and five-year-olds started primary school with a BMI in the ‘overweight’ or ‘obese’ range in the past decade. This equates to more than one in 10 children, with Cancer Research UK saying that children in Scotland are more likely to be overweight than children in other parts of the UK.
“It’s concerning to know that so many children start secondary school – formative years in a child’s life – carrying too much weight,” said Alison Cox, director of prevention at Cancer Research UK.
“We must give children the best chance for a healthy future. Measures like the sugary drinks tax can make a difference and the government must press ahead with this vital measure. But, there is no silver bullet and more action is needed.
“The government has already recognised the influence of junk food marketing on children’s health by banning junk food advertising during children’s programmes – it’s time to close the loophole during family viewing time.”
Being overweight or obese puts children at a higher risk of developing many health conditions in later life, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancers, which can all lead to premature death. Obesity will be a “crippling burden on society and the NHS” if nothing is done to fight it, the charity said, with the NHS expected to spend billions of pounds in the future treating health problems caused by excess weight.
After smoking, being overweight is the biggest preventable cause of cancer in the UK, with 13 different types of cancer being linked to it. Following a balanced diet and cutting back on sugar, while taking part in regular exercise, is among the general advice given for losing weight.
