One in five children leave primary school obese

The table for the worst offenders sees London areas take up the top four spots, followed by Wolverhampton in fifth and Sandwell in seventh.

Youngsters at primary schools in England are weighed every year in Reception and Year 6.

One in 10 children was obese at the start primary school in England last year but one in five was obese by the end, according to the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Figures for Reception children have fallen slightly but obesity amongst Year 6 is on the rise.

Children living in the most deprived areas were twice as also likely to be obese as children in affluent areas.

Councillor Yvonne Davies, Sandwell Council's cabinet member for adult social care and health, said: "There has always been a correlation between poverty and obesity.

"When you are trying to feed your family on a budget you don't necessarily go for the healthiest options.

"The recent welfare reform has made it even more difficult to budget.

"We do invest in health, such as offering free swimming lessons for over 60s and those under 16.

"We have invested in parks and six of those have green flags, so there are plenty of places where people can go and get some fresh air."

Councillor Davies said charities like Krunch, which has worked with young people across Sandwell and the Black Country for 15 years, continued to encourage children to exercise.

She said: "It's important children get into the habit from an early age.

"We want to tackle all the issues around obesity, which includes poverty and insufficient income."

The figures for 2014-/15 come from the government's National Child Measurement Programme for England, which covers all state primary schools.

By measuring children's weight and height and calculating their body mass index, or BMI, children can be classified as being underweight, a healthy weight, overweight or obese.

Among children aged four and five in Reception, 9.1 per cent were classified as obese compared with 9.5 per cent in 2013/14 and 9.9 per cent in 2006/07, when records began.

In Year 6, 19.1 per cent of children were obese, an increase on figures from eight years ago.

While one in four or five children was overweight or obese in Reception, one in three was either overweight or obese in Year 6.

Ros Jervis, Wolverhampton council's director of public health, said: "Obesity is associated with a number of serious medical conditions - so doing nothing is simply not an option."

She said an action plan was being developed outlining what organisations and individuals can do to tackle the problem while programmes were being run aimed at encouraging families to eat more healthily and exercise.