‘Urgent and decisive’ action is needed to combat rising levels of childhood obesity, a public health director has argued.
According to Hampshire County Council’s public health annual report, childhood obesity is one of the most significant health challenges of the 21st century.
Public health director Simon Bryant said there had been a significant national increase in the past decade in the percentage of Year 6 children who were overweight or obese.
The increase has been particularly significant in Hampshire, he said, with more than a fifth of children in the county overweight or obese when they start primary school, rising to more than a third by the time they leave.
The report says Hampshire children often do not do the recommended daily hour of exercise.
It also blames fast food outlets near schools and the availability of less healthy food in supermarkets and leisure settings for rising levels of obesity.
The document says: ‘If we fail to act now, carrying on as we are, levels of childhood overweight and obesity are projected to rise for this and the next generation.’
It urges the council to develop a ‘Healthy Weight in Hampshire’ approach.
