Over a third of children in west London are obese or overweight, according to the latest figures.
Findings show that hundreds of 10-11 year olds in each west London borough are at an increased risk of heart disease later in life, if they carry the excess weight through to adulthood.
Westminster and Hammersmith and Fulham boroughs tipped the scales with 39% of children in that age category deemed to be too heavy, adding to a total of 35,300 overweight children across London.
To combat the worrying figures, The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is calling for a ban on all junk food TV advertising before 9pm, as part of the Government’s Childhood Obesity Strategy to help improve children’s health.
Millions of children across the UK are being exposed to junk food adverts during popular shows such as the X Factor and Hollyoaks.
Analysis by the BHF shows that weak regulations are creating loopholes that mean that food companies advertise junk food - high in fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt - during programmes watched by children in west London.
Shockingly, 13 junk food adverts were shown during just one X Factor show last year, promoting unhealthy snacks such as crisps, chocolate bars and pizzas to the children watching before 9pm.
Mike Hobday, Director of Policy at the BHF, said: “It’s worrying that so many children in London are obese or overweight. Carrying excess weight into adulthood increases the risk of developing heart disease in later life.
“We mustn’t allow food companies to continue to exploit a failing regulatory system that allows them to bombard TV screens with junk food adverts at the times when the highest numbers of children are watching TV.
"We need to protect young people against the sophisticated marketing techniques of junk food advertisers to help tackle the obesity crisis which threatens the heart health of future generations.”
Current regulations mean that foods high in fat, saturated fat, salt and sugar are banned from being advertised during children’s programming.
But the latest Ofcom figures show that two-thirds (65%) of children watch TV during what is considered adult airtime. Peak viewing for children is between 7 and 8pm when up to 1.8 million children are glued to their TV screens.
During last year’s series, the BHF found adverts for foods high in fat, saturated fat, salt and sugar, such as Cadbury chocolate, Doritos crisps, Kinder chocolate, Chicago Town pizzas and Haribo sweets, all of which are banned during children’s programming.
For more information about the BHF’s call for a ban of junk food advertising before 9pm, visit their website .
See how your borough measured up on the scales:
| Borough | Total number of 10/11 year olds | Proportion who are overweight or obese | Number of overweight or obese 10/11 year olds |
| Westminster | 2,022 | 39% | 790 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 1,600 | 39% | 620 |
| Ealing | 3,896 | 38% | 1,480 |
| Brent | 3,703 | 38% | 1,410 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 1,486 | 38% | 560 |
| Hounslow | 2,840 | 37% | 1,050 |
| Harrow | 2,880 | 34% | 980 |
| Hillingdon | 3,360 | 33% | 1,110 |
