City the second worst in England for obese children starting school

Figures show 15.1% of reception kids overweight

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MORE than one in seven children in Stoke-on-Trent are already obese by the time they start primary school.

The city has the second highest number of obese youngsters in reception out of every local authority area in England.

It is estimated that 15.1 per cent of boys and girls were obese in the Potteries at the start of the 2024/5 academic year, only behind Halton in Runcorn. This compares to a national average of 10.5 per cent.

And by Year Six one in four children (27.5 per cent) in Stoke-on-Trent are obese compared to the England average of 22.2 per cent.

The figures have been published as part of the Government's National Child Measurement Programme, which covers mainstream state-maintained schools. Children in reception are aged four to five, while children in Year 6 are aged 10 to 11.

The data has been compiled by the postcode address of the child, not the postcode address of their school.