One in four children is obese, according to latest figures published by the Information Centre for H...
One in four children is obese, according to latest figures published by the Information Centre for Health and Social Care.
Statistics from the Health Survey for England 2004 reveal that obesity levels among children in England have risen over the past 10 years.
From 1995 to 2004 obesity among boys aged 11 to 15 increased from 14% to 24% and, among girls of the same age, from 15% to 26%.
The survey, which looked at 2,000 children aged between two and 15, also found that obesity levels in boys aged two to 10 rose from 10% in 1995 to 16% in 2004 and for girls from 10% in 1995 to 11% in 2004.
Professor Denise Lievesley, chief executive of the Information Centre, said: "While a relatively small sample, the survey supports the view that there is a longer term trend towards more obesity among children in England and provides additional evidence to support concerns around children's weight problems."
The survey also revealed that one in four adults is now obese. For men this figure has nearly doubled since 1993, rising from 13% to 24% in 2004. For women the rise has been slightly lower, from 16% in 1993 to 24% in 2004.
According to BUPA, children who are overweight tend to grow up into overweight adults. They run a higher risk of developing serious health problems in later life, including heart attacks and strokes, which apart from cancer kill more people than any other diseases in the UK.
