Fat children's uniforms put a strain on parents' purse

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While clothing for children under 14 is VAT-free, the exemption is lifted after sizes meet the maximum, such as a chest size of 41 inches on a boy's shirt.

The British Retail Consortium said that children were getting so big so fast they are exceeding the maximum sizes before their 14th birthday.

It has called on the Government to change the regulations as it predicted more children will become obese. The number of girls affected is expected to go up by 35 per cent by 2010.

KidsOutdoors, a campaign led by the Scout Association, has found that eight million young people across Britain are not getting enough exercise and many are not participating in outdoor activities.

Its survey of 1,083 seven- to 18-year-olds showed 89 per cent spent far less time engaged in physical activity than is recommended by the Department of Health. The department's guidelines state all children should be active for at least one hour a day.

Seven per cent spend no time at all participating in outdoor physical activities which are not arranged by school. Peter Duncan, Chief Scout, said: "Outdoor activities have numerous benefits - including helping to tackle obesity."