Schools and parents urged to help tackle Oxfordshire's child obesity crisis

New figures showed about 1,900 of Oxfordshire’s year six schoolchildren were overweight or obese this year – higher than in 2015.

Oxfordshire director of public health Jonathan McWilliam warned childhood obesity could cause ‘chronic disease’ later in life.

But he added while numbers are rising in the county, it is better than the national average by about two per cent.

He said: “These figures tell the story of obesity and overweight in children as they grow older – gradually more slip from a healthy weight into overweight and obesity.

• Dr Jonathan McWilliam, Oxfordshire's director of public health

“This trend will tend to continue into adulthood and is the root cause of much later chronic disease.

“Obesity also magnifies the impact of all disabling conditions such as joint and mobility problems and so it also affects the need for social care.”

The latest figures, recorded by the National Child Measurement Programme, measured the height and weight of 14,146 children across the county.

In Oxfordshire 97 per cent of schools participated and recorded 19.6 per cent of reception children are either overweight or obese and 30.6 per cent of year six students.

This is a rise from 18.7 per cent and 28.8 per cent on last year’s figures. Experts have blamed the rise in childhood obesity across Oxfordshire on a lack of education about staying fit, and called for schools and parents to help tackle the crisis.

One school which is making strides in the city to introduce more ‘active learning’ is Windmill Primary School, Headington, which stages regular activities to promote fitness at school.

Headteacher Lynn Knapp said: “The fact figures are still going up is worrying.

“We always fall slightly below the national average so it is obviously it has something to do with the way we market foods as well.

• Windmill Primary School headteacher Lynn Knapp

“It is all about education. We try to teach children what foods they should be eating to keep fit and healthy, as well as give them lots of chances to take part in physical activity.

“The school joins in with healthy week every year with a focus on healthy foods and we also look at lunchboxes to help teach about the different foods pupils could chose.”

The primary school has continued a government initiative over several years which introduced a 10-minute fitness DVD to play between lessons with the idea of keeping children active.

Mrs Knapp added: “The DVD Take10 has been used for five or six years now but it seems to have been slowly phased out across schools.

“We try to teach while kids are active and they love it, not having to sit still during lessons.”

Oxfordshire’s health report also highlighted children aged four and five in Oxford are faring worse than those in surrounding districts.

However, at age 10 to 11, Cherwell recorded higher numbers of children either obese or overweight than in the city.

• Children aged four and five in Oxford are faring worse than those in surrounding areas

A similar Public Health England report revealed 15 per cent of reception age pupils in Blackbird Leys were classified as obese and 26.3 per cent with ‘excess weight’.

In Cowley Marsh, 22.7 per cent have ‘excess weight’ and 11.6 per cent are obese as they start school, according to the same study.

Mr McWilliam said it was vital the number of overweight reception children was kept as low as possible, adding it was ‘crucial for the health of the next generation’.

Littlemore Slimming World consultant and mum of two Kate Bailey said: “It is really unfortunate but I am not surprised to hear the figures are rising.

“In an unofficial capacity, and as a mother, I think it comes down to the lack of education, such as cookery classes which not many schools do anymore.

“Our Littlemore group itself is also possibly one of the only ones which allows young people to join.

They have to be accompanied by an adult but we take in people aged from 11 to 16 for free and have done for several years.”

The county council has called for national changes to food labelling, marketing and for physical activity to be promoted within communities.

It also pledged to review its physical activity strategy with district councils and the NHS, and look at the county’s green spaces and recreation facilities.

HEALTH TRIAL

AN OXFORDSHIRE study that found adults who were struggling with their weight were keen to get help from their GP could be extended to children, a top researcher has said.

Professor Susan Jebb, pictured, is a nutrition scientist at Oxford University and member of the Public Health England Obesity Programme Board with an interest in interventions.

Earlier this year a trial carried out by the university saw overweight patients at 137 GP practices offered a chance to join a weight management programme, despite not having attended the GP for that reason.

Some 77 percent agreed and lost an average of 2.43kg, double that of patients that were simply advised to lose weight.

Professor Jebb said: “The study was completely opportunistic and it shows people are looking for help. Many people want help to lose weight.

“We hope to develop a trial with children looking at how doctors raise issues with families.

"Weight management systems with children are much less well-developed.”

She added the health implications of obesity, which can increase the chance of diabetes, heart disease and some 12 forms of cancer, were less concerning when patients are young.

Prof Jebb said: “If you are overweight as a child that is bad, but apart from children who are most severely obese we don’t see specific health problems emerging.

"Life chances are set at quite an early age. The risk is that you carry that excess weight into adulthood.”