Parents receive the letters as part of the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) which weighs and measures children at the start and end of primary school.
However, new research has revealed only half of parents are aware of NCMP (49%) or understand its purpose (51%) and just one in five (20%) have received information as a result of the programme that has been useful in helping their child achieve a healthy weight.
The RSPH is calling for reforms to tackle parental confusion around the programme’s purpose, and provide additional support. Reforms would include healthy food vouchers or access to after school activity clubs, diet and exercise guides sent with the letters and ensuring parents of obese children are contacted by telephone prior to receiving the letter.
Shirely Cramer, chief executive of the RSPH, said: “It is unacceptable that one in five children leave primary school classed as obese and we must all pull together to reverse this worrying trend.
“We hope that the Government’s forthcoming obesity strategy will include many of our suggestions for action at all levels, particularly around the promotion of junk food to children, encouraging reformulation of food and drink products, particularly around sugar content, and increasing activity levels among children.
“Parents also need to be provided with support, and our calls to reform the ‘fat letter’ are intended to make better use of this. Our research finds that only one fifth of parents find the ‘fat letter’ useful and we believe that the letter should be seen as the beginning of a dialogue with parents, not simply flagging whether their child is obese.”
As well as reforms to the ‘fat letter’, the RSPH are campaigning for the restriction on junk food advertising on social media and online, the introduction of a minimum hour a day of ‘fun and play’ in primary schools to increase activity levels and improved training for health practitioners to offer advice during pregnancy and early years.
The health body is also backing the introduction of a sugar tax, which has garnered a high profile campaign in recent months.
To read the RSPH full report of ‘Tackling the UK’s childhood obesity epidemic’ click here.