MORE than one in five Barnsley pupils are obese by the time they reach secondary school, NHS statistics have revealed.

Height and weight measurements of 10 to 11 year-olds showed 21.2 per cent of the youngsters were obese and just 63.9 per cent were considered a healthy weight by professionals.

Over 10 per cent of reception kids fell into the obese category with a further 12.6 per cent of the four and five year-olds classed as overweight.

Acting director of public health Dr Joan Miller said being overweight in childhood could lead to complications in later life.

"Being very overweight in childhood is now thought to be as hazardous to health as smoking," she said.

"Too much fat puts them at risk of developing serious illnesses like heart disease and type 2 diabetes as they grow up and in later life so it's really important we do something about it."