PARENTS are being urged to help a campaign to reduce the number of obese children in Darlington.

Health officials told a council meeting that a culture of obesity ran from generation to generation.

Health officials and council officers in the town are developing a strategy to improve the health of children and cut the number who are obese.

Initiatives already in place include courses at Darlington Memorial Hospital, work in schools to provide healthier meals and more exercise, promote breastfeeding and try reduce the number of expectant mothers who smoke during pregnancy.

However, health officials told Darlington Borough Council's children and young people's scrutiny committee that parents must also help with the campaign.

Ken Ross, from Darlington PCT, said: "Evidence suggests that parents who are obese themselves cannot see that their children are obese.

"It is a family issue. The interventions have to be carried about around a family approach."

Ruth Bennett, who is health improvement lead officer for obesity and physical activity in the town, said: "Unless we tackle is as a family approach, all our work might just stop at the door."

Conservative committee member Kate Davies also said that the council could also help by selling more healthy food in its buildings, particularly the Dolphin Centre, rather than chocolates and crisps.

She said: "I am encouraged by the fact that figures have gone down though we have to wait until next year to see if its a blip or we are going in the right direction.

"I think as a local authority we still could be doing more. Our leisure establishments sell food high in fat and in large portions.

"We need to look at what we are doing as a local authority. We should be leading by example."

Data for the 2007-8 school year showed that obesity levels had dropped at both reception and year six levels, for which figures are recorded.

The number of overweight children has also dropped over the three-year period since data was first recorded.

Councillor Dot Long said the trend data especially for the number of overweight children in reception classes was optimistic.

Sue Hoare-Leather, health improvement officer for obesity with NHS Darlington, said the town has traditionally had problems with obesity.

She added: "We are doing better than we thought but there is still a lot of work to be done."