The shocking statistic was discovered as part of an academic study, carried out across 13,000 young people.
Another equally frightening statistic showed that a fifth of those children studied in the survey were classed as obese at the same age.
Researchers who undertook the study pinned the sharp rise in obesity among seven to 11-year-olds down to parents’ tendency to give in more to their children’s demands when it comes to their food and activity choices.
Such a dramatic increase in weight can leave children open to an increased risk of heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes.
These latest statistics come just days after the publication of results from another study, the Millennium Cohort Study, which followed British children born between 2000 and 2002.
This study found that a fifth of the children who participated were obese by the age of 11, with a further 15 percent classed as overweight.
These alarming figures certainly provide food for thought for parents everywhere.
