Low-income children were more at risk of obesity than their peers, dubbing it "a very important cause of health inequality, according to a GP turned MP.
The chair of the Health Select Committee, Sarah Wollaston told Good Morning Britain 12% of children from the most deprived backgrounds were obese when they started primary school, where as "24% being obese," by the time they finished primary school.
Data from a Government programme designed to map out how weight is changing in primary school children has found one third of 10-11-year-olds are overweight or obese.
- Health problems linked to obesity already cost the NHS more than £5bn every year.
- Chair of the Health Select Committee, Dr Sarah Wollaston also called for schools to teach more cooking skills so children are not reliant on calorific fast foods later in life.
- All pupils should feel confident on a bike before they leave school so they can later cycle to work.
Primary school children should be weighed annually if the UK is serious about tackling its obesity crisis, one MP and former GP has said.
Dr Sarah Wollaston said it was wrong primary pupils were only weighed in reception class and year six.
Instead, they should be put on the scales every academic year so their weight and health can be monitored.
She also called on food companies to charge more for fizzy drinks, as they were laden with sugar and could push children into obesity.
Without urgent action the health service will struggle to cope with the raft of long-term conditions coming down the track, she said.