Revealed: Black Country children among fattest in the UK
Children in the Black Country are among the fattest in the UK, latest figures show.
More than a quarter of 10 to 11 year olds in the region are classed as obese, with Sandwell having the third highest obesity rate in the country.
The figures, released by Public Health England, show all four Black Country boroughs have a problem with childhood obesity.
In Sandwell, 28.2 per cent of 10 to 11 year olds as classed as obese, along with 12.8 per cent of four to five year olds. The national averages are 20.1 and 9.5 per cent respectively.
A total of 27.6 per cent of 10 to 11 year olds in Wolverhampton are obese, along with 12.8 per cent of four to five year olds. Dudley is the next worst borough for 10 to 11 year olds with 25.9 per cent classed as obese, but is the best when it comes to four to five year olds with 10.3 of them classed as obese.
In Walsall, 25.6 per cent of 10 to 11 year olds as classed as obese, along with 11.6 per cent of four to five year olds.
Sandwell Council said it is addressing as many factors around childhood obesity as it can, including reducing the number of takeaways situated near schools and supporting programmes such as the Daily Mile.
Councillor Elaine Costigan, the council’s cabinet member for public health and protection, added: “Childhood obesity is a national problem that particularly affects economically disadvantaged groups. In Sandwell, rates of obesity among children are a priority that we must continually tackle."
Wolverhampton Council also works to limit the number of fast-food outlets near schools, as well as supporting national initiatives such as Change4Life's Sugar Swaps and 10 Minute Shake Up campaigns.
A spokesman said: "We are working with partner organisations to support pregnant women, parents, children and young people to be physically active and eat healthily, and we are committed to reducing the prevalence of overweight and obese children when they enter reception, and the increase that is seen by the time children reach Year 6.
"We hope that, in time, measures such as these will help contribute to a decline in obesity rates in Wolverhampton, as part of a wider range of population-level and environmental interventions to create the conditions to support people to live healthier lives."
Dudley Council said it is "committed to reducing levels of childhood obesity in the borough", adding low rates of breastfeeding could be behind the high figures as it is known to reduce the chances of a child becoming overweight.
In order to tackle childhood obesity in Walsall, the council will be working with The Local Government Association after recently being announced as one of 13 childhood obesity trailblazers. As part of this LGA programme the authority will come up with a detailed plan to tackle childhood obesity which will run for three years.
