A fifth of 10 to 11-year-olds in Watford are obese or severely obese, new figures show.

The professor in charge of children's health in England called obesity a "ticking time bomb", but warned the NHS cannot solve the problem alone.

New figures from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities show there were around 250 obese or severely obese Year 6 children in Watford in the last academic year, accounting for 20.3 per cent of the whole cohort.

This was down from a year earlier, when 21.8 per cent of year 6 children were obese.

Across England, 22.1 per cent of year 6 children were obese last year – down from 22.7 per cent in 2022-23.

Despite the recent improvement in childhood obesity, the national rate remains higher than before the pandemic.

The data is from the government’s national child measurement programme, which covers mainstream state-maintained schools in England.

The figures also show persistent inequalities exist, with children from the most deprived areas twice as likely to be living with obesity than those from the least deprived areas.

In Watford, 4.9 per cent of Year 6 children were also considered severely obese.

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 time bomb for the future by increasing a child’s risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, mental health issues and many other illnesses.

"But the NHS cannot solve this alone and continued action from industry, local and national government, and wider society together with the NHS is essential to help create a healthy nation."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "This government inherited an obesity crisis which is costing the NHS and the economy billions of pounds.

"We are committed to tackling this issue head on, shifting our focus from treatment to prevention as part of our 10 Year Health Plan.

"We have already made a strong start by restricting junk food advertising on TV and online, limiting school children's access to fast food, and confirming that we will take steps to ensure the Soft Drinks Industry Levy remains effective and fit for purpose."