NEW fears have been raised about the health of children in Dorset following the release of official figures.

The figures on obesity, released by the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) and published by Public Health England (PHE), show that more than one in four children aged 10 to 11 in the county are said to be

overweight or obese.

In year six 13.5 per cent are overweight and 14.2 per cent are obese and 14.1 per cent of children in reception - aged four and five - are overweight while 9.2 per cent are obese.

Taken together, this means 23.3 per cent of reception-aged children are overweight or obese but this figure rises to 27.7 per cent – more than one in four – for children in year six.

The figures were based on analysis of 3,846 children in reception and 3,551 children in year six.

Regionally, 22.3 per cent of four to five-year-olds and 30.5 per cent of 10 to 11-year-olds are overweight or

obese.

The NCMP measures the height and weight of children in reception class and year 6 to assess overweight and obesity levels in children within primary schools.

Kevin Ellison, deputy director of health and wellbeing for Public Health England South West, said: “The latest child obesity figures for the South West highlight the importance for families to cut back on sugar in the diet."