KEIGHLEY Central has one of the highest child obesity rates in the district, it has been revealed.

More than a quarter of all year-six pupils in the ward are obese, according to latest figures.

A report to Bradford and Airedale health and wellbeing board heard there is a strong correlation between poverty and being overweight, and that obesity rates were highest among Asian or Asian British pupils.

Keighley Central councillor, Zafar Ali, said the findings are worrying and that more needs to be done to tackle the problem.

"It is a real concern," he said.

"We need to educate children from a young age and their parents about the importance of eating healthily and being physically active.

"The message needs to be put out through schools, community centres and religious places that a poor diet and lack of exercise can endanger your health."

The board discussed several options for combatting the issue, including public health campaigns, new cycle lanes and planning measures, such as restricting the opening of take-away restaurants.

And it decided to draw-up a new obesity action plan for the district in the coming months.

The meeting heard Bradford Council’s public health team spent about £2 million on anti-obesity campaigns and initiatives each year, with the NHS funding more extreme measures, such as bariatric surgery.

It heard the council’s planning team had recently introduced a ban on take-aways opening near schools.

But Bingley Rural councillor Simon Cooke said there is "no evidence at all" to support the restriction on take-aways.

He called for budgets to be concentrated on treating obese people, rather than the general population, saying this could deliver better results.

But Dr Andy Withers, chairman of Bradford Districts Clinical Commissioning Group, said he "fundamentally disagreed" with this.

He added: "I think the whole thrust of this needs to be on stopping people getting there in the first place."

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, Bradford Council leader and chairman of the committee, also backed a 'prevention rather than cure' approach.

She called for the bulk of the money to be spent on preventing children becoming obese, rather than trying to change the habits of adults.

She said: "It is important to get this right now."

The meeting heard about one in eight of Bradford district's adult population are registered as obese, as are one in 12 of the district's reception-age children. This rises to about one in five children in year six – considerably higher than the national average.