'Tackle junk food' call as one in four London primary pupils are obese

HEALTH experts have urged the Government to tackle the "injustice" of childhood obesity as figures showed nearly one in four London children in primary school are now obese.

- Daniel Keane

NHS Digital figures showed a significant variation in obesity rates between richer and poorer areas of the capital. Nearly a third of year six pupils in Barking and Dagenham were obese (33.2 per cent) in 2022 compared with 12.8 per cent in Richmond upon Thames.

A total of 25.8 per cent of London children were obese in the age group - a rise of 2.2 per cent on the figure reported five years before.

The figures come after the Government's obesity czar Henry Dimbleby resigned, claiming that ministers' strategy on tackling obesity "made no sense". Adelay on "buy-one-get-one-free" offers has been paused until October this year while plans to restrict junk food advertising has also been paused.