A new report has revealed that a record number of primary school children are obese. One in 25 pupils aged between 10 and 11 were classed as severely obese.
Children from poorer backgrounds were more likely to be overweight or obese, this may be because they don’t have access to healthier, fresh food like other youths.
"We have over 22,000 children now at the end of their primary school severely obese and that increases health consequences and social risk for them as well. We have more takeaway outlets than we have ever had before,” said chief nutritionist Dr Alison Tedstone.
"Walk down any high street and you are constantly prompted to buy and eat more and that will be affecting our children - the amount they eat and their body weight."
Earlier this year, The Times reported that schools may start weighing students in a bid to tackle the obesity crisis.
The new proposal would see schools in the UK weigh and measure students each year. According to The Times, schools would be expected to monitor these measurements annually in order to keep track of pupils' health.
Students deemed obese would be given funded means of support to help them lose weight, including free gym classes and home visits.
Educational regulator Ofsted would then rank schools on how well they help keep their students at a healthy weight.
This proposal was inspired by a government project in Amsterdam. In just three years, officials in the Dutch city reportedly helped reduce childhood obesity by 12 percent.
