- One in 10 Reception pupils and one in five Year 6 students now obese
- More than 80 per cent of obese children today will go on to be obese adults
- Experts warn these children could diet 20-30 years prematurely
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School uniforms shops are selling XXXXXXXXL trousers with 50 inch waistlines to cope with the obesity crisis in the UK.
Retailers in some parts of the country also revealed the number of blazers with 46in chests sold in the last decade had doubled.
Other stores have been forced to fill their shelves with clothes to fit a 56in chest and 46in waist – almost twice the national average size for an 11-year-old and equivalent to a woman’s size 30.
Many school children now need new plus-size clothing, with one in 10 Reception pupils and one in five Year 6 students now classed as obese, according to the National Obesity Observatory.
Jacob Catley, 14, is pictured modelling a pair of 44 inch waist school trousers, as it emerged uniform shops are selling XXXXXXXXL trousers to cope with the obesity crisis in the UK
Many school children now need new plus-size clothing, with one in 10 Reception pupils and one in five Year 6 students now classed as obese, according to the National Obesity Observatory
Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, said their research shows that in the next 15-20 years 50 per cent of the entire UK population will be overweight.
He said: ‘It really is an an appalling situation we find ourselves in and very disturbing that we are seeing school uniforms going up to waist sizes of 50 inches.
‘Unfortunately, a significant amount of adults do not eat properly and this is passed down to their children.
‘Something drastic needs to be done to combat this although soon we will be having stricter nutritional rules regarding school dinners.
‘However, sandwiches will still be allowed which means sugar in bread and schools look like they will struggle to cope with kitchen sizes and canteen space.
‘Kids will be forced to eat at their desks and as a result there will be a continual perpetuation of children not exercising enough, not eating correctly and as a result just getting more obese.’
Independent shops also sell uniforms for larger children, while others specialise in oversize garments.
They include Sturdy Kids, an online retailer with the tag line: ‘For more than your average child’.
Some stores have been forced to fill their shelves with clothes to fit a 56in chest and 46in waist – almost twice the national average size for an 11-year-old and equivalent to a woman’s size 30
In its ‘Generous Fit Junior Trousers’ section, it offers a pair of school trousers in waist sizes ranging from 42 to 50 inches.
The website is also selling 54 inch blazers for boys and girls.It is likely than any child who needs to wear such a large item of clothing would be morbidly obese.
A spokesperson for Sturdy Kids said they were ‘rushed of their feet’ and unable to comment.
Another store, School Uniform Direct, which has branches in London and Surrey, has boys’ trousers with up to 44 inch waists.They also sell blazers in size 54 inch for boys and girls.
BHS’s ‘Generous Fit’ size guide lists 40 inch (101cm) waists for 16-year-olds and 34 inch (84cm) for those aged 11.
Lisa Phillis, sales director at supplier Just School Wear based in Sherwood, Notts., said she had no doubts that children were getting larger.
She said: ‘Over the past five years we have been supplying many more larger uniforms.
‘A few years ago we were seeing average waist sizes of 26 to 28in.
‘Now the norm is around 30in for a senior boy. But we do have up to 46in in stock.’
Anthony Buckland, co-owner of Price and Buckland, a uniform supplier in Hucknall, Notts., added: ‘I’d say the number of 46in blazers we have sold has doubled in the last decade.
‘There is clearly an issue there which relates to child obesity levels.Â
‘We are having to cater for much larger children than we did many years ago.’
The website is also selling 54 inch blazers for girls. One in 10 Reception pupils and one in five Year 6 students now obese, according to the National Obesity Observatory
Professor David Haslam, chairman of the
National Obesity Forum, said: ‘Obesity in kids is growing. It is a very,
very high rate, especially in the less affluent parts of the country.
‘Clothing manufacturers are just
reacting to the obesity epidemic rather than being part of its cause,
but it’s a sad state of affairs that they are needed.
‘The
Government, the food industry and schools have a really big job to
tackle the problem and the health authorities in managing it.’
He added: ‘In the 1970s, it would have been impossible to find these clothes, obesity has been in the making for 30 years.
‘The
average weight of the population has grown from malnutrition, to normal
weight to overweight to obese – it is a tidal wave of obesity.’
When
asked about the health risks for children who need these plus-size
clothes, Professor Haslam said: ‘It is 20 to 30 years off their life
with that kind of level of obesity.
‘It’s premature heart problems, serious health problems, as well as the disabilities it can cause.’
In the last few years, clothing chains have been forced to rip up their sizing system for children to reflect the fact youngsters are now taller, wider and heavier than ever.
A recent study has shown the extent of children’s growth over the past 35 years. The data will be used to create a new generation of clothing to fit the nation’s taller and wider youth
A new template for those aged four to 16 has been devised for retailers to reflect the major changes to body shapes over the last few decades.
Six of the country’s biggest children’s fashion chains – Marks Spencer, Next, George at Asda, Tesco, Monsoon and the Shop Direct group – are now using the guidleines.
Full body 3D scans were carried out on 2,885 youngsters across the country to produce the updated size regime.
The last time a comprehensive survey of children’s shapes was carried out was by the British Standards Institution in 1978.
The figures were compiled by Shape GB, a collaboration between retailers, several academic bodies, clothing size experts Alvanon and scanner experts.
Girls of 11 were found to be on average four inches wider around the waist, while boys are generally bigger through the waist and chest.
Research has shown that over 80 per cent of obese children today will go on to be obese adults.
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