Obesity Rises Among P1 Children

The number of children who are clinically obese or severely obese when they start school has increased slightly, according to new figures. Health statistics show that 3.8% of primary one pupils were classed as clinically obese in 2013/14 compared with 3.4% the previous year. The proportion of severely clinically obese children also increased from 2.3% in 2012/13 to 2.6% the following year. Those classified as overweight went up from 8.8% to 9.2% in the same period. The figures mean the percentage of children who are a healthy weight fell from 85.1% to 84.1%. The data was gathered by measuring pupils' body mass index (BMI), calculated using a person's weight and height. Children from the most deprived backgrounds are more likely to be overweight or obese, the figures suggest. Scottish Conservative health spokesman Jackson Carlaw said: "Obesity is fast becoming as significant a public health challenge as drinking and smoking. "If a generation of youngsters are setting out on a path of poor diets and supine lifestyles, it's going to be very difficult to change those habits in adulthood. "If we had more health visitors out and about in Scotland's homes, problems would be spotted earlier and these figures would begin to move in the right direction.''