Official data shows Hartlepool is in the top 25 local authorities in England for the highest estimated levels of obesity among Year 6 age schoolchildren at 26.7% of pupils. This is above the national average of 22.1% for children in the age bracket in the 2023-24 school year. Hartlepool Borough Council says a joined up approach with partners is needed to tackle the issue, and states initiatives are starting to see results. Councillor Rachel Creevy, chair of the council's children's services committee, said factors which can lead to obesity are complex and cannot be remedied in isolation. She said: "This is an issue for the whole of Hartlepool and it requires a co-ordinated approach with the Council, its partners and communities working together. "Such an approach is at the heart of key initiatives already taking place across the borough, including the Children and Young People's Food and Nutrition Network, which encourages schools and other early years establishments to grow their own produce so that people engage with the food they eat at a younger age.” Hartlepool was placed joint 22nd out of 317 local authorities in England for obesity in Year 6 pupils. Cllr Creevy added: "Whilst the latest figures from the Government’s National Child Measurement Programme show that Hartlepool still has a long way to go, the early signs are that this work is starting to have a positive impact, with the data for Year 6 pupils showing year-on-year decreases for the last two years. "The aim now is to build on these improvements to bring about longer-term change." Obesity in children has been linked to deprivation, with it being over twice as high compared with those living in the least deprived areas. Professor Simon Kenny, NHS England’s national clinical director for children and young people, said: “Obesity can have a major impact on a child’s life. It affects every organ in the body and is effectively a ticking health timebomb for the future by increasing a child’s risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, mental health issues and many other illnesses.”
