Fifth of London children are obese

A fifth of all children in London are obese, latest figures show today.

The continuing rise in childhood obesity threatens a future epidemic of weight-related disease.

Children are being diagnosed in the capital with type 2 diabetes - caused by obesity and normally only seen in the over-forties.

The Department of Health data shows that nationally, more than a quarter of children are overweight and 13.7 per cent of two- to 10-year-olds are classed as obese.

The Health Survey for England found London and the North-East have the most overweight children. London has 18.2 per cent of children defined as obese.

Those in inner-city areas and from deprived backgrounds are more likely to have weight problems because of lack of exercise, no access to healthy food and poor education about diet.

More than 20 types of cancer, plus cardiovascular disease, asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke, are associated with obesity.

Health Minister Rosie Winterton said the figures "show the scale of the task before us. If this continues unchecked... our children will pay a heavy price through ill-health and premature death and our NHS will end up creaking under the strain."