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The new research found a quarter of all UK children are overweight or obese when they start school aged four to five and this rises to a third of all children by age 11. 

Dr Rabe said: “This intervention has a significant impact by reducing reception children’s obesity rates by 7%. It’s a small impact but it’s fast and it’s more effective than other school based initiatives on children of this age, like running the Daily Mile or healthy eating messaging.”

Using BMI data by National Child Measurement Programme from children in 16,000 primary schools, the study examined the impact of nutritionally- balanced, 530-calorie free school dinners introduced by coalition government in 2014. 

A 2010 study found on average packed lunches contained 625 calories and two thirds of them contained at least two high calorie foods such as crisps, sweetened drinks and chocolate bars. 

Dr Holford added: “We found a beneficial effect of school meals nationally, but it is also apparent when we look only at school children in more affluent areas. This suggests that even for children of middle class parents, the school meals were more nutritionally balanced than what they were bringing in their lunch boxes.”

LACA- The School Food people and School Food Matters are calling on the government to roll the free school meal policy out to all primary schools and secondary school children, in order to prevent the predicted rise in childhood obesity.