Nearly One In Four Children Aged Four To Five In England Are Overweight, Says Report From The NHS Information Centre

Main Category: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 11 Dec 2008 - 4:00 PST

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In England, nearly one in four children in reception class is overweight or obese, according to a report out today - 11 December 2008 - from The NHS Information Centre.

The report also shows almost one in three children in Year 6 is overweight or obese.

The figures are among the key findings of the National Child Measurement Programme, which measures the weight of children in reception class (four to five-year-olds) and Year 6 (aged ten to 11 years) in primary schools in England.

The programme has been running since 2005 and this is the second year for which The NHS Information Centre has published its findings.

The report showed there was little or no significant change in 2007/08 in the proportion of children who were underweight, overweight or obese in both age groups, compared to 2006/07, which was the first year the study's findings were reported by The NHS Information Centre.

Nearly a million children took part in the programme this year - 88 per cent of those eligible. The figure represented an increase on 2006/07 when 80 per cent of those eligible to participate took part.

The NHS Information Centre co-ordinated the collection and analyses of data, using data supplied locally by primary care trusts with the co-operation of local schools.

The NHS Information Centre's chief executive Tim Straughan said: "Obesity is one of the biggest threats to the health of our nation and it is of huge concern that the problem is afflicting so many children and at such an early age.

"Today's report is the second time The NHS Information Centre has published annual findings for the programme. Over time, we expect the programme to pinpoint trends in the prevalence of obesity which will help frontline staff identify where best to direct their efforts in tackling the problem."

The report is at http://www.ic.nhs.uk/ncmp.

An online facility which enables users to search for results by strategic health authority and primary care trust area is at http://www.ncmp.ic.nhs.uk

1. The NHS Information Centre is England's authoritative, independent source of health and social care information. It works with more than 300 health and social care providers nationwide to provide the facts and figures that help the NHS and social services run effectively. Its role is to collect data, analyse it and convert it into useful information which helps providers improve their services and supports academics, researchers, regulators and policymakers in their work.

The NHS Information Centre also produces a wide range of statistical publications each year across a number of areas including: primary care, health and lifestyles, screening, hospital care, population and geography, social care and workforce and pay statistics.

2. The Department of Health and Department for Children Schools and Families have responsibility for the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP).

3. The school children involved were all those in reception and Year 6 from state maintained primary schools in England. PCTs were encouraged, but not obliged, to include independent schools and special schools in their NCMP measurements.

http://www.ic.nhs.uk