Merseyside childhood obesity higher than national average

Feb 22 2008 by Liza Williams, Liverpool Daily Post

CHILDHOOD obesity rates in Merseyside are above the national average, according to new figures – and in some areas more than one in three youngsters weigh more than a healthy child should.

Results from the national child measurement programme, which checks children’s height and weight, show 36.9% of Year 6 pupils in Halton and St Helens are overweight or obese, the second highest rate in the North West.

And 30% of reception class children in Knowsley are over a healthy weight – the national average is 22.9%. In Liverpool, obesity levels are just over Britain’s average by 0.5%.

The government study has been set up to enable local health services to identify children who are, or who are at risk of, becoming overweight and is one of the largest sets of child growth data in the world.

Modi Mwatsama, food and health programme manager for Merseyside charity Heart of Mersey, said: “These figures confirm what we already know, that far too many children are eating unhealthily and need to be more active.

“Being overweight does not just cause problems later in life, but illness in childhood.”

All PCTs in Merseyside are trying to tackle the problem with initiatives to encourage healthily lifestyles.

Dr Paula Grey, director of public health in Liverpool, said: “Liverpool PCT remains deeply committed to reducing the number of overweight and obese adults and young people in the city and will be launching a strategy in April, which will set out how this significant problem will be tackled.

“We know we need to continue to encourage people to improve diets and to get this message over on a much larger scale.”

A spokesman for Halton and St Helens PCT said: “All the evidence suggests children in Halton and St Helens are increasing in weight and the PCT have put weight management programmes into place to address this issue.

“To prevent children becoming obese, the focus is on working with parents of young children to encourage breastfeeding, good food patterns and ensuring children have opportunities to be active.”

In the study, which shows rates for children measured between 2006-7, London has the highest rates in the country, but rates in some areas of Merseyside are higher than the capital’s average.

Dr Janet Atherton, director of public health for Sefton, said: “The high level of overweight and obesity in school children in Sefton is a real concern as it can lead to poor health.

“We are working to encourage young people to be more active everyday and to eat healthily so they can be a healthy weight throughout their lives.”

Liz Gaulton, Knowsley deputy director of public health, added: “Knowsley has had an obesity strategy in place since 2004 and we have put into place many innovative schemes and initiatives to stop children and young people becoming obese and to help them and their families to adopt healthier lifestyles.

“We have made progress, but there is still a lot to do.”

lizawilliams