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A Harlow mum is disgusted after her five-year-old daughter was deemed overweight by a council-led service.

Karis Campbell, from Stewards, returned home from holiday to find a letter saying her daughter Lexi was close to being classed as obese.

Lexi, who weighs 23kg and is 1.12m tall, has not been told about the letter as her mother is concerned it would be damaging to her mental health.

“It's terrible,” said the mum-of-two, who also has a nine-month old son Teddy.

“My little girl is in reception at St James Primary School in Harlow. Essex Child and Family came into the school in reception and year six to note height and weights.

“We have been on holiday and only just come back on Sunday, to find a letter telling me she is an 'unhealthy weight, she is overweight'.

“You go on their website and they have a chart. You can put all their details in and it will show you how overweight they are.

“They say she is five per cent off from being obese.

“She is a five-year-old, that is not overweight, she is very tall for her age and she does ballet, she runs around and she has so much energy.”

Essex Child and Family is contracted by Essex County Council, and Karis claims the service could have given her information which is damaging to a young child’s mental state.

“She is a five-year-old little girl, how can you try and tell a five-year-old something like that?” she said.

“I haven't told Lexi as that could be damaging to a child.

“An overweight child is terribly unhealthy but so is having anorexia.

“How can they go around to young children and say they are fat and overweight when they are not?

“They should be focusing on mental health. I think it’s disgusting.

“Even in year six, if a 10-year-old got hold of that letter saying they are unhealthy and overweight they could stop themselves from eating.

“It could be so physically damaging to a child - let them be children.

“They have their own little lives.”

Karis added: “If they put on a few pounds when they are 30 as an adult they can deal with it then.

“She is not skin and bones but she is healthy, it's unbelievable.”

Following the incident Karis now says she will take up the matter with the school.

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An Essex County Council spokesperson said: “Essex County Council, like all Local Authorities in England, is required to deliver the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP), whereby children in Reception Year and Year Six at Primary School have their height and weight measured, in a sensitive and understanding way.

“This is an important national programme that helps us track trends in overweight and obesity rates for children in England, and drives action to support healthy weight behaviours.

“We are working closely with a number of different organisations, partners and schools across the county to support children and families in making healthy lifestyle choices.

“The NCMP is a key part of the way in which we evaluate how effective our collective programmes are in helping all young people to live healthily and maintain a healthy weight.”