New research from the National Heart Forum (NHF) has suggested that an increase in obesity levels among children across the UK may be starting to "level off".

The Obesity trends for children aged 2-11 years and 12-years study compared previous forecasts based on obesity data from the Health Survey for England (HSE) with updated forecasts based on data collected between 2000 and 2007. According to the report, the rate of increase in obesity levels may now have entered a period of decline. New forecasts for 2020 predict that the number of overweight boys aged between two and 11 years old could fall from 22 per cent to 17 per cent.

Meanwhile, the number of obese boys in the same age group is expected to decline from 20 per cent to 13 per cent. The proportion of overweight girls is set to be cut in half to 17 per cent, while the number of obese girls could decrease by 4 per cent to 10 per cent. The criteria that determines whether a child is either overweight or obese is dependent on age and gender. It is governed by the UK90 scale, which compares previously collected data with recent statistics. The International Obesity Task Force scale - based on six countries including the UK - is also used.

Professor Klim McPherson of Oxford University, who is also NHF chair, led the team of experts responsible for the study. McPherson said: "These trends present a more positive picture that obesity may be levelling off in children. "However, prevalence, and current trends, of excess weight are still unacceptably high and these figures should not be taken as an argument for complacency. The government needs to keep up the work they are doing to tackle obesity."

Public health minister Gillian Merron added: "The encouraging news that child obesity may be levelling off is thanks to the hard work of families, schools and the NHS across England, supported by government initiatives such as 5 A Day and Healthy Schools, which have overseen improvements to school food and school sport."