Mum upset after council labels her son overweight

A mother from Gedding has criticised a council for sending her a letter warning that her five-year-old son is too fat.

Tanya Hendry, 37, of Drinkstone Road, received a letter on Saturday saying her son Xavier, a pupil at Rattlesden Primary School, had been measured and weighed as part of the government’s National Child Measurement Programme, and had been deemed to be overweight.

But Tanya says her boy is the right weight for his height and that the way schools teach children about healthy eating could scare kids, leading them to have problems with food.

She said her 15-year-old daughter Stephanie already suffered from an eating disorder which she developed after learning about food at primary school.

Tanya said: “Xavier is five - he has 13 more years to grow.

“He is not a fat child, he is not overweight.

“A parent could read that letter, panic, and think ‘what have I done to my child?’.

A spokesman for Suffolk County Council said all information on the programme was kept confidential and that it was up to parents whether they wished to take action.

He said: “In Suffolk we know that nearly a third of children are overweight or obese and by providing feedback to parents of their child’s weight can encourage families to take action to improve their lifestyle.

“Tackling weight issues earlier in life helps prevent longer-term health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, which reduce quality of life and life expectancy.”