One in five children finishing primary school in Rugby are obese

Public health groups urged the Government to take further action to prevent youngsters consuming junk food and sugary drinks, as the level of severe obesity hit a record high across England.

NHS Digital figures show that 20% of Year 6 pupils in Rugby in 2017-18 were obese, of which 3.8 per cent were severely obese.

Additionally, 14 per cent of Year 6 children were overweight.

That means 34 per cent of Rugby’s youngsters are unhealthily overweight when they finish primary school.

Across England, 4.2 per cent of ten and 11-year-olds are severely obese, a record high.

Caroline Cerny, of the Obesity Health Alliance, a coalition of leading health charities, medical royal colleges and campaign groups, said: “We can do something about this”.

“The ever increasing number of children living with obesity is a clear reflection of the unhealthy wider environment that pushes us towards sugary and fatty food and drinks.

“We need to start with reducing the number of junk food adverts children see before a 9pm watershed, restrictions on junk food promotions in supermarkets and the food industry stepping up efforts to reduce sugar and fat from everyday foods.”