NEARLY half of teenage girls and more than a third of teenage boys in England are overweight or obese, figures suggest.

The inexorable upward trend continued in 2004, despite a plethora of government initiatives to stem it, according to the Health Survey of England, published yesterday.

Since 1995 the proportion of boys aged 11-15 who are obese or overweight has risen from 26.9 per cent to 36.4 per cent. The proportion in girls has risen from 29.3 per cent to 45.6 per cent.

The data come from a sample of about 2,000 children, so the year-to-year trends are not statistically significant. They do, however, show some sharp increases from 2003-04, particularly in those aged 11-15.

The survey also showed that one in four adults in England is now obese and the proportion of men in this category has almost doubled since 1993, from 13 per cent to 24 per cent. Women have shown a lower increase, from 16 per cent in 1993 to 24 per cent in 2004.

Two years ago the Government promised to halt the rise in childhood obesity by 2010. A report by three government watchdogs published in February found that the Government had yet to publish key parts of the plan, and that it had taken 31 experts nearly 18 months to decide how childhood obesity should be measured. They concluded, as one might expect, that it should be done by weighing and measuring children.

The report identified five government departments, dozens of quangos and hundreds of local bodies responsible for implementing the obesity strategy; insufficient frontline staff with the right skills; numerous initiatives but no specific money to implement them; and no clear evidence of which strategies would work.

Caroline Flint, the Public Health Minister, said yesterday: “We recognise we need to do more. We will continue to work across government and the public sector, and with the food, leisure and sports industries to ensure that we stay on track to meet our target.”

Professor Colin Waine, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said that the figures revealed a public health timebomb because children who are obese between 11 and 15 are twice as likely to die in their 50s. He added that increased inactivity coupled with more energy-dense foods were fuelling the problem: “Being obese at adolescence increases the cancer risk by 21 per cent for girls and 14 per cent for boys.”

Caroline Swain, executive director of Weight Concern, said: “If we are to preserve the health of the next generation, there is a desperate need for detailed research into what is triggering this rise, as well as practical action to encourage families to adopt healthier lifestyles.”

Amanda Eden, care adviser at Diabetes UK, said: “Again and again we are seeing reports confirming this shocking increase in obesity. We know that 80 per cent of people with diabetes are overweight or obese at diagnosis. As obesity increases, the average age of the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes lowers. We will soon be seeing our children growing up losing limbs and becoming blind as they develop the serious complications of having the condition.”

Cycling England released a survey yesterday showing that almost three quarters of parents do not think that their children do enough exercise at school. Phillip Darnton, its chairman, said: “Bike to School Week, which starts on Monday, is a great opportunity for young people to give cycling a go. Cycling to school is not only fun and inexpensive, it is also a great way of introducing exercise into your child’s daily routine and establishing a good habit of activity for later life.”

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