BLACKBURN with Darwen has the highest proportion of severely obese primary school leavers in East Lancashire, new figures show.

Nationally, a record number of primary school children are leaving school severely obese, according to the figures from Public Health England. Data for 2016/17 shows one in 25 10-to-11 year olds, more than 22,000 in total, were severely obese.

Levels of childhood obesity have remained fairly stable in recent years, but the new analysis shows that severe obesity has been on an upward trend over the last decade.

The data from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) for children for the year 2016/17 has detailed the trends in severe obesity for the first time, with 4.86 per cent of children leaving Blackburn primary schools severely obese, compared with an average of 4.06 per cent across the whole of England.

Hyndburn has the next highest prevalence of severely obese primary school leavers in the area at 4.71 per cent followed by Burnley at 4.48 per cent.

In Rossendale, 4.35 per cent of primary school leavers are classed severely obese, compared to 4.24 per cent in Pendle, 3.03 per cent in Chorley and just 1.43 per cent in Ribble Valley.

In April 2016 Blackburn with Darwen, introduced a policy of refusing permission for new takeaways within 400m of any primary or secondary school, madrassa, nursery or college with five or more existing outlets within the exclusion zone unless the proposed opening hours were outside those of the educational institution.

Since then the number of takeaways in the borough has fallen from 236 to 219.

Analysis by Public Health England (PHE) shows just 3.17 per cent of boys and girls aged 10 to 11 years old were classed as being severely obese in 2006/07.

Health campaigners described the figures as “shocking” but “not surprising” and called for Government plans to tackle childhood obesity to be swiftly implemented.

Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at PHE, said: “The rise in severe obesity and widening health inequalities highlight why bold measures are needed to tackle this threat to our children’s health.

“These trends are extremely worrying and have been decades in the making - reversing them will not happen overnight.”

Dr Max Davie, officer for health promotion at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: “Although shocking, this new data is not surprising.

“For many years we have been calling for bold action and it appears for these young children, it did not come soon enough,” he said.

“The Government’s childhood obesity plan is encouraging.

“But if the policies within it are not quickly enacted, more children are going to face a life that’s limited in quality and expectancy.”

“Obesity is entirely preventable so this new data should be the springboard the Government needs in order to put these policies in place and begin turning around lives.”

Public health minister Steve Brine said: “We know child obesity is fast becoming an issue of epidemic proportions, and that it often hits the poorest hardest.”

“Severely obese children face a future of potential health problems, including a greater risk of cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes later in life.

“This is a complex area and we recognise more must be done - that’s why in our new obesity plan we announced stringent measures to reduce children’s exposure promotion of sugary and fatty foods. “