One in five Oxfordshire children classed as obese

According to the data from NHS Digital, 19 per cent of Year 6 pupils in Oxford in 2017-18 were obese, of which 3.1 per cent were severely obese.

Additionally, 12 per cent of Year 6 children were classed as overweight meaning overall 31 per cent of Oxford's youngsters are unhealthily overweight when they finish primary school.

Oxfordshire's director of public health, Dr Jonathan McWilliam highlighted the rise in childhood obesity in his annual report earlier this year.

Referencing last year's figures he labelled obesity 'one of the biggest threats to health and wellbeing', saying the rise from reception age to primary school age in Oxfordshire was 'concerning'.

The data shows many children gain weight while at primary school with just nine per cent of children classed as obese when they leave reception class.

The percentage of obese children in Oxfordshire has fallen since 2013/14 when it stood at 21 per cent, however, public health groups have urged the Government to take further action to prevent youngsters consuming junk food and sugary drinks, especially as the level of severe obesity hit a record high nationally.

Across England 4.2 per cent of 10 and 11-year-olds classed as severely obese - a record high.

Caroline Cerny, of the Obesity Health Alliance, a coalition of health charities, medical royal colleges and campaign groups, said: "The ever increasing number of children living with obesity is a clear reflection of the unhealthy wider environment that pushes us towards sugary and fatty food and drinks.

"We need to start with reducing the number of junk food adverts children see before a 9pm watershed, restrictions on junk food promotions in supermarkets and the food industry stepping up efforts to reduce sugar and fat from everyday foods."

Children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds were more than twice as likely to be obese than those from the wealthiest areas.

Public health minister Steve Brine said: "Obesity is a problem that has been decades in the making – one that will take significant effort across government, schools, families and wider society to address.

"We cannot expect to see a reversal in trends overnight – but we have been clear that we are willing to do whatever it takes to keep children healthy and well in this country.

“We have already removed tonnes of sugar from children’s diets through the sugar tax, which has funded vital school sports and breakfast programmes, and this summer we announced the second chapter of our childhood obesity strategy with a series of bold plans to halve child obesity by 2030."