The 2015 Report: Health and wellbeing

Supporting families to give every child the best start in life helps build protective factors into older childhood and adulthood. The focus on early years is therefore well founded for current and future generations and is a sound social, health and economic investment. Across the country, local authorities have this firmly in their sights as they prepare to take on commissioning responsibilities for the Healthy Child Programme for noughtto five-year-olds and manage the expansion of the Troubled Families programme.

England's child obesity rates continue to be of significant concern. The latest data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre shows that 9.5 per cent of reception pupils are obese. These rates double by the end of primary school to 19.1 per cent. When we add those who are overweight, we are looking at one in three of our Year 6 children who have an unhealthy weight. These rates are worse for children living in the most deprived areas and from certain BME communities. The health consequences of childhood obesity extend beyond school age into adulthood, increasing risks of diabetes for example and add to body image and confidence issues. It is therefore critical we act now.