OVER a quarter of children starting school in north Wales are overweight, according to a new report.

Figures show that 28.6 per cent of children aged four to five in north Wales have been found to be overweight when they are starting school.

With many of them having weight issues that have a negative effect on their health, 12.3 per cent of school starters being classed as obese.

The numbers for obese children are above the average in England where 9.6 per cent of children in reception classes were found to be obese last year.

A report before Betsi Cadwlaladr Health Board said steps that need to be taken included cutting the amount of screen time children get.

This means lowering the amount of time that young children have using devices like mobile phones, tablets and televisions.

It also said new mothers should be encouraged to breast feed to help reduce obesity.

The report written by Sarah Andrews, principal public health practitioner, and Siobhan Adams, consultant in public health, warned that when people are overweight as youngsters they will often stay so into adulthood with health problems as a result.

It said: “Obesity in childhood leads to significant health issues across the life course, and some areas of north Wales have the highest prevalence of childhood obesity in the UK. Wales has the highest prevalence of maternal obesity of all the UK countries. Obesity in pregnancy is currently one of the biggest threats to maternal and child health in developed countries."

See this week’s north papers for the full story, available in shops and as a digital edition now