Antonio, age five, is labelled obese; MUMS' FURY AT LETTERS BRANDING 'HEALTHY' CHILDREN FAT.

Byline: JOANNE BUTCHER

FIVE-YEAR-OLD Antonio Coates looks a picture of health as he enjoys the swings at his local park - but he and a school pal have been labelled fat by the NHS.

Now their angry mums have hit out at health chiefs after receiving letters telling them their children would be regarded as obese by doctors.

Beth Coates and Jeri Kariuki say the letters, which placed the boys in a category doctors would call "clinically obese", were an insult.

And they warned parents could feel forced to starve healthy kids to meet Government figures.

Antonio and best pal Carl Kariuki, also five, were weighed and measured with classmates at Greenfields Primary School in Wide Open, North Tyneside.

It was part of the NHS's National Child Measurement Programme, which checks kids across the country to monitor rising obesity levels.

At 3st 10lb and 3st 9lb respectively, the youngsters fell into the "very overweight" and "overweight" categories.

A letter explained they would be classed as "clinically obese" by doctors, and warned of possible health risks including heart problems, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Furious mum Beth, of Dudley, near Cramlington, was shocked to be told her son needed to lose a stone in weight.

She said: "Antonio is normal. He is not obese, nothing close to it. It is a load of rubbish."

"He eats fresh food, doesn't snack, and is always running around with his friends.

"Working out the BMI of children is ridiculous as their bodies are constantly changing."

Beth, a social services administrator, added: "It's shocking they said this to me in a letter.

"Any issues should have been raised through an appointment with a doctor or health visitor."

And she feared other parents of supposedly "fat" kids might put them on dangerous diets.

She said: "If I wasn't stronger in myself I might decide I was doing something wrong and deny Antonio food. It could give children serious eating disorders.

"I know what it is like to be fat, I used to be overweight and I changed that by healthy eating.

"I don't want Antonio thinking he is obese when he is not."

Jeri, 50, said she was disgusted health professionals got it so wrong.

"I am disregarding their advice," said the mum, from Wide Open. "But how will I know whether to take them seriously the next time they tell me something about my son? "Carl eats healthy organic food, and he does a lot of exercise. He has a trampoline and he goes to football training.

In a joint statement, North Tyneside Primary Care Trust and North Tyneside Council said: "We are really sorry if any child or parent has been upset by this programme.

"Being overweight is an increasing problem across the country and in North Tyneside we are working closely with the council to address this.

"We measure children aged five and eleven and write to parents to share this information and offer advice and support.

"We would be very happy to talk to parents and re-measure their children."

CAPTION(S):

THAT'S MY BOY: Beth fears the letters sent out could encourage unhealth y diets PUSHED TOO FAR: Antonio Coates and mum Beth who are unhappy at Antonio being labelled "very overweight" by the NHS