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Tuesday, 9 February 2010

Newsroom

Child obesity 'levelling off'

  • Published: Wednesday, 4 November 2009

Child obesity in the UK may be levelling off, according to new data. The figures show a drop in the forecasted number of overweight and obese boys and girls aged between two and eleven.

Child obesity in the UK

The new figures, produced by a team of independent experts led by Professor Klim McPherson of Oxford University, looked at forecasts of overweight and obese children to 2020.

The analysis suggests there may be a 17 per cent drop in the forecasted number of overweight two to eleven-year-old girls. It also suggsted a 4 per cent drop in the numbers of obese girls of the same age. 

For boys aged two to eleven, the figures indicate a 5 per cent drop in the forecast number of overweight boys and a 7 per cent drop in obese boys.

Public Health Minister, Gillian Merron, said: “There are currently 1.5 million children and 25 million adults that are overweight or obese, leaving them at increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart and liver disease.

“The encouraging news that child obesity may be levelling off is thanks to the hard work of families, schools and the NHS across England, supported by government initiatives such as 5 A Day and Healthy Schools  which have overseen improvements to school food and school sport."

Healthy Towns programme

The Change4Life Healthy Towns, launched a year ago this month, are Dudley, Halifax, Sheffield, Tower Hamlets, Thetford, Middlesbrough, Manchester, Tewkesbury and Portsmouth.

The towns each received a share of a £30 million government investment and have spent the last year creating opportunities for their local communities to get active and eat healthily.

Over the year, initiatives in Change4Life Healthy Towns have included:

  • a healthy meal event in Middlesbrough with over 10,000 diners tucking in
  • free fruit and veg for the 5,629 Year Seven pupils in Sheffield
  • healthy weight projects in workplaces across Halifax
  • Change4Life corner shops stocking fresh fruit and veg in Tower Hamlets
  • a mass bike ride in Portsmouth with over 250 cyclists
  • a ‘green gym’ to get people active in the outdoors in Thetford
  • cooking clubs for mums, dads and kids in Tewkesbury
  • better walking and cycling facilities in Dudley

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