CHILDREN who live in the most deprived areas of Bradford are more likely to be obese, a study has found.

And an obesity crisis has been forecast for the district over the next 40 years.

A report to the Bradford and Airedale Health and Wellbeing Board, which met yesterday, said obesity levels are closely linked with "socio-economic deprivation".

According to the study's findings taking data from 2013/14, by the age of 11, 27.4 per cent of children in the most deprived quintile were obese, compared with 12.9 per cent in the least deprived quintile or fifth of population.

A total of 12.8 per cent of reception-aged children in the most deprived quintile were obese, compared with 6.2 per cent in the least deprived quintile.

An estimated 14 per cent of children aged two to 15 are obese in the Bradford district and 18 per cent are overweight.

The report says if no action is taken, evidence forecasts 25 per cent of children in the Bradford district will be obese and 30 per cent overweight, by 2050.

Nationally, the NHS costs to overweight and obesity are expected to double to £10 billion per year by 2050, which works out at about £80 million for the Bradford district.

Councillor Ralph Berry, Bradford Council's portfolio holder for health and social care, said: "It's shocking.

"In some areas it's difficult to get access to healthy food. These are worry, worrying figures.

"We are not doing our job if we don't speak directly about it.

"We need to work on creating a more healthy culture of diet and eating.

"I have been concerned about the obesity rates in Bradford for some time. It's life-shortening stuff."

The report also revealed obesity remains an issue across all age ranges in the Bradford district.

It states: "The estimated prevalence of overweight and obesity amongst adults in Bradford is 67.7 per cent, which is above the national average of 63.8 per cent.

"Approximately 25.8 per cent of these adults are obese, 1.6 per cent above the national average."

The report also found 24.3 per cent of the population of the Bradford district eat a healthy diet, while 49.4 per cent of Bradford adults

Meanwhile, three-quarters of adults support a ban on junk food advertising before the 9pm TV watershed, according to a poll published yesterday.

The survey of more than 1,700 people, for Cancer Research UK found 74 per cent would back a ban, while 55 per cent also want a tax on sugary drinks.

A total of 69 per cent said there should be cuts to junk food advertising online, while 66 per cent want cuts to price promotions on junk food, such as buy-one-get-one-free deals.

Meanwhile, 82 per cent of those polled said they thought childhood obesity was a problem.

A third of ten to 11-year-olds and more than a fifth of four to five-year-olds in England are overweight or obese.