Yorkshire's junk food generation: 1.6m children overweight by time they leave primary school

Between 2006/07 and 2014/15, there were 1,654,894 children in England who started year seven – the first year at secondary school – with an unhealthy weight, according to the research by Cancer Research UK.

In the Yorkshire and Humber region, more than 90,000 children were overweight or obese by the time they left primary school.

In 2010/2011 it was calculated that 18,296 of children aged ten or 11 were overweight or obese. That figure represents 33 per cent of the 55,125 year six population.

Figures for 2014/2015 were that 19, 377 year six children were overweight or obese which was out of a school population of 58, 273.

The alarming figure foretells a future of ill-health for the nation, the charity says.

It added that obese children were about five times more likely to become obese adults.

The charity has called on the Government to press ahead with measures set out in its Childhood Obesity Plan, which was published in the summer.

Many leading health organisations criticised the plan because it did not contain new curbs on junk food advertising.

The plan put an emphasis on greater physical activity in schools and a voluntary scheme for the food industry to reformulate popular children’s products to reduce sugar.

Also central to the plan is the Government proposal for a sugar tax on soft drinks which has still to be implemented.

Alison Cox, Cancer Research UK’s director of prevention, said: “It’s concerning to know that so many children start secondary school – formative years in a child’s life – carrying too much weight.

“We must give children the best chance for a healthy future.

“Measures like the sugary drinks tax can make a difference and the Government must press ahead with this vital measure.

“But there is no silver bullet and more action is needed. The Government has already recognised the influence of junk food marketing on children’s health by banning junk food advertising during children’s programmes – it’s time to close the loophole during family viewing time.”

The charity said that carrying too much weight increased the risk of cancer as well as other diseases.

Being overweight or obese contributes to an estimated 18,100 cases of cancer every year in the UK including bowel, breast and pancreatic tumours.

Ian Murch, the National Union of Teacher’s executive member for Yorkshire told The Yorkshire Post: “Obesity is no different here from anywhere else but it is obviously an issue because the problem is getting bigger.

“We are less likely to have more general initiatives with the break up of the educational system than we once did.

“It depends on the catering arrangements the schools make and that can differ as they have increasing individuality on what they do and the ability of the local council to have a role in school meals is getting smaller and smaller.

“The idea of bringing health education initiatives for children is very important and schools will make efforts individually to educate people properly and provide good meals themselves.

“It’s job is to educate children on what is healthy to eat – that is part of the system but obviously the school can only do what the school can do.”

New figures from the Obesity Health Alliance show an apparent “weight gap” between poorest and wealthiest primary-school aged boys living in England.

The Alliance said 60 per cent of the most deprived boys aged 5-11 are predicted to be overweight or obese by 2020, compared with 16 per cent of boys in the most affluent group. Meanwhile, an average of one in five girls is predicted to be obese or overweight by 2020 – with no difference between the richest and poorest girls.