Express & Star

Wolverhampton’s children among fattest in the country

Children in Wolverhampton are the fifth fattest in the country – with almost 50 per cent in one area being classed as clinically obese.

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Almost 50 per cent in one area of Bilston were being classed as clinically obese

Bilston East tops the poll for the city’s worst hotspot, with 46 per cent of 10-11 year-olds dangerously overweight – and the problem is steadily getting worse, say health chiefs.

Blakenhall comes a close second at 44 per cent.

The figures are still continuing to rise despite drastic steps to tackle the problem being taken by Wolverhampton Council – including the banning of takeaways within 400 metres of secondary schools, which came into force in October 2017.

Other figures for the city include St Peter’s (43 per cent); Bushbury South and Low Hill; Heath Town (both 42 per cent); Bilston North (41 per cent); and Oxley (40 per cent). Tettenhall Wightwick came out on top with the least amount of overweight or obese Year 6 pupils at 27 per cent.

It is a total of 26.8 per cent nationally.

Wolverhampton Council said the problem was an ongoing one but that it was still working hard to provide guidance and support to schools in helping them to tackle the issue of overweight children.

A council spokesman said: “In Wolverhampton, public health and the wider system is working hard to provide guidance and support to schools in relation to legitimate, quality-assured interventions that can contribute towards preventing childhood obesity.

“The council actively encourages the use of PE and Sport Premium funding to increase the breadth of provision of sport and physical activity across the whole school day, widening participation to less traditionally active children.

“This includes improving PE and sports coaching but also involves embedding physical activity into the school day through active travel, active playgrounds and active teaching.”

The figures, supplied by Public Health England (PHE), also revealed that 13.5 per cent of four to five-year-olds in Wolverhampton were classed as obese – the second highest rate of obesity in reception-age children in the country. Statistics also showed that 21.5 per cent of adults in the city were morbidly obese.

Wolverhampton was rated just behind Newham (27.4 per cent); Sandwell (28.1 per cent); and Brent (28.1 per cent). Barking and Dagenham topped the poll for most obese 10-11 year-olds in the country with 30 per cent.

Dr Alison Tedstone, the chief nutritionist for PHE, said: “Children deserve a healthy future and these worrying figures are a reminder that addressing childhood obesity still requires very urgent action.

“We need sustained action to tackle poor diets and excess calorie intakes.”