MORE than one in five pupils finish primary school in Bolton seriously overweight — with the figure as high as one in three in some parts of the borough.

The latest figures released by the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) also reveal that nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of Bolton’s four and five-year-olds are overweight or very overweight.

Between reception and year six, the number of Bolton schoolchildren classed as very overweight more than doubles — with boys more likely to be battling obesity than girls.

The NCMP requires Bolton’s school nursing team, part of Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, to measure and weigh reception and year six pupils every year.

The latest figures — from the 2013/14 school year — show the number of very overweight four and five-year-olds is at a six-year high in Bolton and seriously overweight year sixes have hit a four-year peak.

The council’s public health intelligence team, tasked with analysing the statistics, say Bolton’s child obesity levels would be higher were it not for the borough’s higher-than-average Asian population.

The report states: “If Bolton had a similar ethnic profile to the national profile, the level of obesity in Bolton would almost certainly be higher.”

The number of very overweight children in both reception and year six in Bolton is higher than the national average.

The rise in obesity follows a national trend.

For reception children the highest obesity levels are in Moses Gate, where almost a fifth of youngsters are likely to be very overweight.

More than one in three year six children living in Middlebrook and Brazely could be obese – and of the borough’s 35 wards 15 are significantly worse than the Bolton average for obesity levels.

Bolton Council said it commissions a range of services in the borough and works with partners including Bolton CCG and Bolton NHS Foundation Trust to raise awareness of the risks of obesity.

Schemes run or commissioned by the authority include the healthy schools programme, subsidised healthy school meals, a health and wellbeing service for five to 19-year-olds and health visitors to advise on early nutrition and weaning.

A spokesman for Bolton Council said: “Childhood obesity is a problem locally and nationally, and we remain committed to creating a healthier borough by creating an environment that promotes healthy weight and encourages healthy eating and physical activity from an early age."

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust’s healthy weight team organises one-to-one appointments and group programmes for overweight children, a fit club and a gym club for teenagers.

Children identified as overweight are given a leaflet so their family can self-refer. Referrals also come from GPs and school nurses.

Margaret Osborne, operational business manager in the families division at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The trust provides a range of stepped responses to tackling childhood obesity – recognising the serious impact on the future health of families in Bolton if obesity is not addressed.”

Dr Barry Silvert, clinical director for commissioning at NHS Bolton CCG, said he was “concerned” about the rise in obesity rates among year six children after several years of dropping figures.

He said: “Obese children are more likely to be ill, be absent from school, experience health-related limitations and require more medical care than children of a normal weight – and research suggests that 85 per cent of these children will become obese adults, when they will have a higher risk of morbidity, disability and premature mortality.

“Obesity also increases the risk of developing many chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.”