‘Fat letters’ should be reformed or scrapped, experts claim

According to the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), most parents did not find the information useful, and only half understood why their children were being weighed.

The Society advised that if such notes were essential, then parents of obese children should be ‘contacted by telephone prior to receipt of the letter’.

In addition, it called for other forms of support, including healthy food vouchers and better access to after school activity clubs.

The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) measures the height and weight of children in reception class and Year 6 to asses overweight and obesity levels in English primary schools.

In 2013/14, over 1.1 million children were measured and their body mass calculated.

Of this number, 23 per cent of children in reception were considered overweight, with 10 per cent obese. In Year 6, 34 per cent of children were either overweight or obese, with 19 per cent obese.

The RSPH conducted a poll questioning 678 parents with children under 18. The study found that only 49 per cent were aware of the NCMP.

Half of the respondents (51 per cent), understood the programmes purpose, while 20 per cent had received information as a result of the scheme, which ultimately proved useful in helping their child lose weight.

The RSPH advised that the programme needed to reform by integrating better with other initiatives such as Change4Life. If the letter is kept, the society directed that guides on diet and exercise should be included with the information sent to parents.

Shirley Cramer, chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health, said: "Parents also need to be provided with support, and our calls to reform the 'fat letter' are intended to make better use of this.

"Our research finds that only one-fifth of parents find the 'fat letter' useful and we believe that the letter should be seen as the beginning of a dialogue with parents, not simply flagging whether their child is obese."

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