Quarter of Wolverhampton's 10 and 11-year-olds are too fat
The number of fat children in Wolverhampton has climbed again and is the highest since records began.
More than one in four 10 and 11-year-olds in the city are classified as obese, and experts say the problem is worsening.
Damning new figures from Public Health England show the city is one of the worst areas in the UK for dangerously overweight children.
Local schools are now being urged to spend their sport and PE budgets ‘wisely’.
The news comes as leading sports coach firm EdStart revealed schools across Wolverhampton have almost £1 million to spend collectively every year on fighting childhood obesity through better sport and PE at school.
CEO of EdStart Chris Irwin said: “I appreciate that teachers are already stretched, but the ring-fenced, annual PE and sport premium is there for a reason; and I urge schools across Wolverhampton to use it more wisely when term time starts in September.
"The bottom line is, these kids are already obese.
"Reversing that will not happen overnight, so there is literally no time to waste.”
Wolverhampton council said it was ‘working hard’ to provide guidance and support to schools to help tackle overweight children.
A council spokesman said: "As a result of the sugar tax levy, schools have received an increase in PE and sport premium allocations.
"In Wolverhampton, public health and the wider system is working hard to provide guidance and support to schools in relation to legitimate, quality assured interventions that can contribute towards preventing childhood obesity.
"The council actively encourages the use of PE and Sport Premium funding to increase the breadth of provision of sport and physical activity across the whole school day – to widen participation to the less traditionally active children.
"This includes improving PE and Sports coaching but also involves embedding physical activity into the school day through active travel, active playgrounds and active teaching."
