UK teenage girls are the most overweight in Europe, a study highlighting soaring childhood obesity shows.
Boys are not much slimmer, weighing more on average than youngsters in all major European countries including Spain, France, Germany and Italy.
Research led by Imperial College London looked at data on 65million children aged five to 19 in 200 countries.
On obesity, the UK ranked 43rd for girls and 63rd for boys.
The study, published in the Lancet, compared the average weights and heights of 19-year-olds.
It showed girls have a higher average body mass index (BMI) – 23.8 – than any other country in Europe.
A BMI over 25 is considered overweight.
Boys have an average BMI of 23.5, heavier than all but nine European countries including Cyprus, Bulgaria and Slovakia.
However, teenagers in the UK are still slimmer than those in the US, Australia and New Zealand.
The research also suggested teenagers in the UK are not growing as tall as those in European countries due to worse nutrition.
While average heights in Britain have increased over 35 years, they have not kept the pace with those in other countries.
The researchers warned that huge variations in childhood nutrition, especially a lack of quality food, can lead to stunted growth and obesity.
Lead author Dr Andrea Rodriguez Martinez, of Imperial’s School of Public Health, said: ‘Our findings should motivate policies that increase the availability and reduce the cost of nutritious foods, as this will help children grow taller without gaining excessive weight for their height…”
