The government is to issue every school with a manifesto on how to tackle childhood obesity.

All schools will be sent a healthy eating blueprint later this year, which will advise them on linking diet and sport with learning, schools minister Stephen Twigg told a school health conference today.

The announcement came as new government statistics show that the proportion of overweight children in England is increasing. The official figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), reveal that the proportion of two to 19-year-old boys who are overweight went up by 2% between 1995 and 2000. In the same period there was a 3% rise in girls in this age bracket.

Mr Twigg told Hull city council's Eat well, Do well conference via a video link: "A healthy body is a healthy mind. The health of our children is of paramount importance and the government is absolutely committed to promoting healthy eating and encouraging schools to provide healthy meals.

"Figures show that one in seven 15-year-olds and one in 12 six-year-olds are obese. We must put this right, and headteachers have our backing 100% when it comes to helping our children eat healthily. Our healthy eating blueprint will provide them with full support and advice that they can access easily.

"At school, giving children a good diet can have a positive impact on all aspects of their education. They have more energy, they find it easier to concentrate, and it can help boost standards."

Last month, Hull became the first local authority to provide all primary school children with free school meals in a bid to improve diet. Pupils are now eligible for breakfast, lunch and after school snacks.

The blueprint will include details of a pilot the Department of Health is running in eight schools, where sweets have been taken out of the tuck shops and fizzy drinks out of vending machines and replaced with fresh water fountains and healthier alternatives. The schools have set up cookery clubs to help pupils learn about what to eat to stay healthy.