Obesity among children starting their first year of primary school has risen for the second year in a row.
Figures from NHS Digital show 9.6% of children in reception classes in 2016-17 are obese, compared with 9.3% the year before.
One-fifth of year 6 children (aged 10-11) are obese, the same as in 2015-16. The statistics for more than 1 million pupils across England show 32.4% of girls and 36.1% of boys in the final primary school year are overweight or obese, while the figures for reception are 22.1% and 23.1% respectively.
More than twice as many children in deprived areas are obese as in affluent areas.
In Kingston upon Thames, south-west London, 4.8% of children in reception are obese, compared with 13.5% in Wolverhampton. For year 6 pupils, 11.3% in Rutland, east Midlands, are obese, compared with 29.2% in Barking and Dagenham, east London.
Dr Alison Tedstone, the chief nutritionist at Public Health England, said: “Children deserve a healthy future and these figures are a reminder that addressing childhood obesity requires urgent action.
“There is no single solution to reverse what’s been decades in the making. We need sustained actions to tackle poor diets and excess calorie intakes.
“We’re working with industry to make food healthier, we’ve produced guidance for councils on planning healthier towns, and we’ve delivered campaigns encouraging people to choose healthier food and lead healthier lives.”
Caroline Cerny, who leads the Obesity Health Alliance, a coalition of more than 40 organisations, said: “Each year, the childhood obesity statistics tell the same devastating story.
“Obesity continues to rise and it’s the children from the most deprived backgrounds who have the odds stacked against them.
“The government says that tackling obesity is a priority. The soft drinks levy and the sugar reduction programme are both positive steps. But a real commitment to tackling obesity means also getting to grips with the environment in which our children grow up.
“Adverts for unhealthy foods have a significant impact on consumption habits, and we want to see immediate action to restrict junk food marketing at children, both online and on TV before the 9pm watershed.”
