A second summit to tackle the ongoing problem of obesity in Medway is being held tomorrow (Friday).

The first seminar was staged last year amid growing fears that people, particularly children, were losing the battle of the bulge.

A wide range of professionals and organisations, including Tesco, Public Health England, DiabetesUK and Gillingham FC are among the 70 delegates attending the all-day meeting at the Brook Theatre in Chatham.

Special guest speaker will be Prof Harry Rutter, a leading public health physician who lectures at Oxford University.

Dr Alison Barnett, Medway’s director of public health and Cllr David Brake, who is in charge of adult services, will formally open the summit.

Cllr Brake, said: “Our second summit will focus on how we can continue to tackle obesity rates and prmote healthy eating and physical activity.

“We want to challenge our partners to ensure Medway continues to take action on this important issue and, as our first summit demonstrated, it is only through a wide range of people who can take forward a broad range lf actions that we can expect to make a difference.

“The most recently published childhood obesity rates on 2014 put Medway slightly below the England average for four to five year olds -9% compared to 9.5% nationally. For 10 to 11-year-olds, the figure was 17.4% compared to 19.1% nationally.

The most recent predicted adult obesity rates are also slightly below the England average - 22% compared to 23% nationally.

“However, given the health burden that obesity places on adults, children and families, it is essential that action continues to be taken to address this agenda.

The first summit was prompted after alarming statistics relating to the number of overweight people in Medway were published.

Almost one in three adults were clinically obese and 20% of the Towns’ 10-year-olds were classed as obese by the time they went to secondary school.

National Childhood Obesity Week runs from Monday (July 6) to Sunday (July 12).

A survey has shown that nationally a quarter of children leaving primary school are considered obese.