Figures reveal that a fifth of Year Six pupils in Milton Keynes are classed as obese

The figures show there were around 865 obese or severely obese year 6 children in Milton Keynes in the last academic year, accounting for 21.6% of the entire school year group.

This was down from a year earlier, when 23.5% of Year Six children were obese.

Across England, 22.1% of Year Six children were obese last year, down from 22.7% in 2022-2023.

Meanwhile in Milton Keynes 6.2% of Year Six children were classed as severely obese.

The shocking data is from the Government’s national child measurement programme, which covers mainstream state-maintained schools in England.

The figures also show persistent inequalities exist, with children from the most deprived areas twice as likely to be living with obesity than those from the least deprived areas.

Dr Helen Stewart, officer for health improvement at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said the inequality across the country was "impossible to ignore".

She added: "This is a long-standing health inequality that successive Governments have failed to tackle.

"It is clear to pediatricians that progress on childhood obesity cannot be achieved without also addressing our out-of-control rates of childhood poverty and deprivation."

Professor Simon Kenny, NHS England’s national clinical director for children and young people, said: "Obesity can have a major impact on a child’s life - it affects every organ in the body and is effectively a ticking health time bomb for the future by increasing a child’s risk of type two diabetes, cancer, mental health issues and many other illnesses.

"But the NHS cannot solve this alone and continued action from industry, local and national Government, and wider society together with the NHS is essential to help create a healthy nation."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "This Government inherited an obesity crisis which is costing the NHS and the economy billions of pounds.

"We are committed to tackling this issue head on, and have already made a strong start by restricting junk food advertising on TV and online, limiting school children's access to fast food, and confirming that we will take steps to ensure the Soft Drinks Industry Levy remains effective and fit for purpose."