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Britain is starting to overtake America in obesity rates, with the latest figures showing that more children in England are classed as obese at the age of 11 than in the US.
The proportion of US children aged 9 to 11 who are obese is 18.5%. The figure for children in their final year of primary school in England is at a record high of 20%.
Secondary-school children are also more obese. In the Health Survey for England, 23% of children aged 11 to 15 were obese in 2016. In America, 20.6% of children aged 12 to 15 were obese.
Simon Capewell, a professor in public health and policy at Liverpool University, said: 'Our worst fears have come to pass. We have completely adopted the American lifestyle with the inevitable consequences. The government needs to stand up for our children.