THERE are more overweight people - including children - in Copeland than anywhere else in England.

More than one in four reception-age children and more than one in three children in Year six are overweight or obese. 

These figures have been uncovered by MP, Jamie Reed through a Parliamentary Question. 

Figures published by Sport England show that fewer than one in three people in Copeland take part in 30 minutes of moderate intensity sport each week. 

On the back of this, the Government have been forced to launch a consultation on overhauling their plans to get people more active following their failure to harness the Olympic legacy. 

Data published by Public Health England has backed up the figures obtained by Jamie Reed MP and has revealed the extent of poor health in Copeland Borough. 

Various measures on health throughout the borough are worse than country-wide average and on the measure of alcohol-specific hospital stays for under-18s and excess weight in adults, Copeland has the worst measures in the country. 

The figures also show a huge variance in levels of health between those living in deprived areas and those in more affluent areas: the findings state that “life expectancy is 12.4 years lower for men and 6.4 years lower for women in the most deprived areas of Copeland than in the least deprived areas.” 

Shadow Health Minister, Jamie Reed MP said: “The health challenges faced by the people of West Cumbria are incredibly complex and it is clear that the current funding formula for addressing public health needs is not up to the task. Areas that are significantly more affluent – and healthier - than Cumbria are receiving much more funding: This is simply not right. "

Life expectancy in the more deprived areas is years lower than less deprived areas, but the City of London receives six times the funding that Cumbria receives to address public health challenges. This is unfair when Cumbria faces much more complex health challenges. “The number of young people with alcohol related stays in hospital in Copeland is the worst in the country and we must find a way to address this. Obesity remains a key issue in our area and Government must empower us to take action. To improve personal health in West Cumbria the Government must correct the unfairness in public health funding and do more to encourage people to be active.”