As if children weren’t being measured and rated enough, now a group of experts on childhood obesity wants children weighed every year from the age of two in an attempt to tackle the crisis. I don’t deny that the idea, from a group of researches from Oxford and Manchester, has some merit, but it seems rather irresponsible to shame young children for something they have little or no control over.

There’s no doubt that the UK is in the midst of a major health crisis when it comes to childhood obesity. Recent figures showed that almost 10 per cent of 4-5 year olds in England are obese. For 10-11 year old’s the figure is double that at 20 per cent.

It is both shocking and sad and yes, action is needed. But I am wary of any system that contributes to the fat-shaming of children and one which lays the blame at the feet of a child or indeed on the child’s family; Because more than ever, it is a societal problem.

I’m not abdicating the role of parents. They need to be positive role models: getting outside with their children and teaching them that everything is fine if it’s in moderation. But the notion that all families are equal in this health crisis is misguided. It has been proven that obesity is more prevalent in poorer families with a child from a deprived family more than twice as likely to be obese than his affluent neighbour.

Then there is the constant bombardment of unhealthy options which parents – even affluent ones – are forced to navigate on a weekly basis.

As a parent of a young child, I know how much of a battle it is to limit how much sugar goes into my child’s little pre-school body. I’m pretty health conscious and aware of the addictive nature of sugar so I don’t have a regular supply of sweets or biscuits at home. But it’s when we go shopping or on a day out to – anywhere really – be it a museum or animal park that I feel I am in the main battleground and have been forced to don my sugar-scrutinising face, because it is everywhere; drinks, snacks, cereals, meal boxes, yoghurts. It’s even in food and drinks that seem innocent on the face of it, products purporting to be sugar-free yet when you check the ingredients, you’ll find they have been filled with artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, which has been proven to increase the risk of metabolic diseases such as type two diabetes when consumed regularly.

Take for example, the popular drinks, Fruit Shoots, marketed specifically for children in a range of flavours. They have previously been criticised for containing up to five teaspoons of sugar per bottle, yet they are ubiquitous at soft play centres and on children’s menus in cafes and restaurants all over the country.

You get the picture. It’s often easy to bash parents for giving in too easily to their child’s demands, and yes, sometimes this is true. But more often than not, that mum would go for the healthier option if it was provided. That dad knows just how many battles he is likely and prepared to ‘win’ with his four year old over the course of a day out and this is not one of them. Why are we making parents fight this battle at every turnaround? Why not just remove the temptation and give us all a break?

Dr Heather Robinson, from the University of Manchester, who led the study that’s suggested weighing children annually believes measuring children as early in life as possible and continuing throughout childhood will give parents and health professionals the information they need to support children and families.

And yes, I’m all for giving parents the right information so they can make informed choices. But it’s shortsighted to believe we can tackle this huge problem by simply telling a child they are heading for obesity without giving them and their family practical and workable solutions (and maybe a pay rise) to address the problem.

Quite frankly, only when we look to those manufacturing, marketing and selling products specifically for children will we be able to tackle the childhood obesity problem with the force it so desperately needs.