Childhood obesity is health timebomb

A junk food generation of obese children is creating a health timebomb for Britain, a new report has found.

Figures in the study by government health advisers show that nearly one in 10 six-year-olds is now classed as obese, a figure that doubles for 15-year-olds. There are twice as many obese children as there were two decades ago.

By 2010, the problem will cost the NHS £3.6 billion, £1 billion more than today. It is believed that about 30,000 people die each year as a result of being obese.

The Health Development Agency says parents and schools must act quickly to ensure children have a healthy lifestyle. Many schools are already tackling obesity through fitness clubs and rules banning chocolate and cake in packed lunches.

Professor Mike Kelly, the HDA's director of research and information, said a plethora of fast-food outlets and reliance on cars meant it had become easier for children to slip into obesity.

He said that simple measures, such as walking instead of driving and even just being more active, could tackle the problem.