New map shows London boroughs with worst childhood obesity rates as 1 in 4 obese
The government has announced plans to tackle childhood obesity with a pre-watershed ban on junk food advertising, as figures reveal that over one in four 10-and-11 year olds in London are obese. The ban will see ads for food items such as crisps, fizzy drinks, sugary cereals and surprisingly, porridge, banned from screens until after 9pm. The government believes the ban will prevent an estimated 20,000 cases of childhood obesity across the UK. In England, more than a fifth (22.1 per cent) of Year 6 children - those aged 10 and 11 years old - were obese in the 2023/24 academic year. This is an increase from 18.7 per cent in 2009/10. London has higher rates of childhood obesity than the country as a whole. Almost a quarter (24.0 per cent) of 10 and 11 year olds attending school in the capital were obese in the 2023/24 academic year. Reception aged children in London - four and five year olds - had an obesity rate of 9.8 per cent, compared to a national average of 9.6 per cent. Th...