Child Obesity Levels Revealed

A third children in Jersey are overweight or obese by the time they leave Primary school.

More than two thousand 4, 5, 10 and 11 year olds were measured in the last academic year.

In reception, a quarter of boys and 16% of girls are overweight or obese.  By Year 6 that rises to around 1 in 3 pupils.

Three in ten children who were overweight six years ago have become obese or severely obese.

More Year Six children in non-fee paying schools are overweight or obese compared to those in fee-paying schools.

The proportion of reception age children classified as overweight or abuse has stayed at the same level since 2010-2012.

Jersey Sport CEO Catriona McAllister says that's worrying.

"You're measuring this every year, but nothing is changing. So you have to look at that and say it isn't going to change, people aren't making these decisions for themselves.

"Therefore we have to look at an education programme and we have to make sure there is equality of opportunity."

It's also been revealed that more children from urban homes are above a healthy weight than those from rural parishes.

Mrs McAllister says that's down to an issue of equality.

"It points to a much bigger issue in terms of equality on the island full stop which is linked to social housing, affordability of housing, cost of living and cost of food.

"The government needs to be prepared to tackle that."