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One in three children starting primary school next week will leave overweight or obese, a cancer charity warns today.

And to highlight the growing obesity epidemic Cancer Research UK says that size XL is becoming the new norm for school uniforms.

As tens of thousands of parents prepare to send their youngsters to school for the first time the charity says the government has missed an opportunity to save lives.

In a shock tactic, the charity has transfromed a shop front in east London into an ‘XL School Uniform’ shop with a sign in the window saying ‘expanding our XL stock due to popular demand.’

An analysis of government figures by the charity show that every year 57,100 children who started primary school in England at a healthy weight end up obese or overweight by the time they leave.

(Image: Getty)

One in five youngsters starting primary school are overweight or obese, but when they leave at 10 or 11 that figure has risen to one in three.

The charity has accused the Government of “failing” youngsters with its childhood obesity plan .

When the document was published two weeks ago, leading health organisations said that the plan did not go far enough to help stem the number of children who are overweight or obese.

Curbs on junk food advertising did not form part of the document, despite repeated calls from health experts.

Being overweight or obese is the single biggest cause of preventable cancer in the UK after smoking and contributes to 18,100 cases of cancer every year.

It is linked to 10 types of cancer including bowel, breast, and pancreatic.

Alison Cox, Cancer Research UK’s director of prevention, said: “The Government has failed children. More than 57,000 children will become overweight or obese during primary school each year in England, and the Government had a chance to prevent this.

(Image: Getty)

“The childhood obesity plan is simply not up to the task of tackling children’s obesity. Instead, the next generation faces a future of ill health, shortened lives, and an overstretched NHS.

“It will take more than encouraging exercise and a sugar tax to tackle the obesity epidemic. The Government has already recognised the influence of junk food marketing on children’s health by banning junk food advertising during children’s programmes - it’s time to close the loop hole during family viewing time.

“Young waistlines have been expanding steadily over the last two decades. With so many overweight and obese children in England, we are seeing a greater need for larger school uniforms. And it’s a shame the Government has missed an opportunity to save lives.”