ONE in five 11-year-olds in Oxford is obese, it has emerged, as health bosses said some parents did not see their children’s health as a priority.

Figures released by the NHS for the school year 2009/2010 revealed 19.8 per cent of city 11-year-olds are classed as obese, compared to an average of 15 per cent elsewhere in the county.

According to the ‘obesity map’ it is higher than the national average of 18.7 per cent and has risen marginally on the previous year.

Last night, a county health chief claimed it could be because Oxford has some of the county’s worst areas of deprivation and the health of children was ‘lower down’ people’s list of priorities.

The statistics, from the National Child Weight Measurement programme, also show a larger proportion of children are obese when they reach Year Six, compared to Reception class age.

The programme weighs and measures all schoolchildren, once they enter primary school at the age of five, and then again when they leave at the age of 11, to show what percentage of children are classed as overweight or obese.

All other areas of Oxfordshire saw a fall in obesity rates.

Cherwell is next highest with 14.9 per cent, and the Vale of White Horse third with 14 per cent. West Oxfordshire and South Oxfordshire both have 13.7 per cent of 11-year-olds deemed obese.

Beccy Clacy, health improvement practitioner for NHS Oxfordshire, said: “The county statistics show we are well below the national average so we are happy with the ways things are going.

“We’ve seen a reduction in the percentages for overweight and obese children in all of our districts, apart from the city.”

Adult and childhood obesity cost the county £143m in the past year.

NHS Oxfordshire spokesman Cariad Hazard said the reasons more children became obese as they got older were complicated and down to a combination of more fat and sugar in their diet, bigger portions and a lack of exercise, combined with a more sedentary lifestyle.

Ms Clacy said free special workshops called Mind Exercise Nutrition Do It (Mend) had been designed to educate parents and children about healthy living and exercise.

They had been aimed at Oxford’s most deprived wards such as Blackbird Leys and Barton in a bid to drive down obesity.

But she said the problem was still baffling experts and added: “We don’t know exactly why Oxford has stayed so high, as we offer the most support in the city.

“It does seem to be linked to deprivation.

“We know that in these areas there can be misconceptions that eating healthily is expensive.

“People have other important things going on in their lives, perhaps they’ve been made redundant.

“The fact their child is overweight falls lower down their list of priorities.

“In more affluent areas, children’s health tends to be higher up on the radar.”