Third of local primary school children in final year overweight or obese

Third of local primary school in final year overweight or obese

More than a third of pupils in their final year of primary school in Rochdale are classed as overweight or obese, according to new figures.

Statistics from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) show that during the 2013-2014 school year, 19.8 per cent of year six pupils in the borough were classed as obese on the Body Mass Index (BMI) scale, while a further 14.6 per cent were categorised as overweight.

Figures from the National Child Measurement Programme showed that Rochdale recorded the same level of obesity as the average in the North-West (19.8 per cent) but higher than the England (19.1 per cent) average.

The study also examined pupils in the reception class in Rochdale schools where 22.8 per cent were classed as overweight or obese.

This figure was below the North-West average (23.6 per cent) and slightly above average for England (22.6 per cent).

Nationally, the figures show obesity is most prevalent among children in deprived areas of the country with the levels of obesity in year six pupils ranging from 11.1 per cent in Richmond upon Thames to 26.7 per cent in Southwark.

HSCIC Chairman Kingsley Manning said: “Today’s figures are important to improving understanding of obesity in children.

“They show a clear difference in levels of obesity depending on where children live, with the most deprived areas of England seeing the highest prevalence.

“This information will be of use nationally by policy makers and locally by health professionals and organisations in the commissioning of services, as well as in raising awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle among families.”