Despite living in one of the more deprived areas in the country, young children in Medway can expect to have a healthy start to life.

According to the report released by the National Children’s Bureau yesterday, just 13.1% of five-year-olds in the Towns have tooth decay and just 9% of those aged four to five are obese.

The report revealed a wide variation between local authorities and the bureau’s chief executive, Anna Feuchtwang, said the difference in the quality of children’s health is shocking.

She added: “As these variations are closely linked to poverty, with those in areas with the highest levels of deprivation more likely to suffer from a range of health issues, we have to ask whether England is becoming a nation of two halves?”

But whilst Medway is the 86th most deprived area out of 150 local authorities, it has the fifth lowest levels of tooth decay nationally and is in the top third when it comes to low levels of obesity.

On average, 159 children (per 10,000) under the age of four are admitted to hospital due to injury, and 64.5% achieve a good level of development by the end of their reception year.

Teachers assess four and five-year-olds on their personal, social, emotional and physical development, communication and language as well as learning goals in mathematics and literacy.

Comparatively, Slough Borough Council who are 87th for deprivation, are among the 25 authorities with the highest levels of obesity (11.9%), highest levels of tooth decay (35.8%) and just 57.9% of children achieve a good level of development.

Kent County Council is the 102nd most deprived area, with 8.2% of four to five-year-olds regarded as obese, 14.2% having tooth decay, and 68.5% having a good level of development.

Last year, one in three adults and 20% of 10-year-olds in Medway were termed “clinically obese”, but this has fallen 17.4% for 10-year-olds.

Health officials and businesses have now held obesity summits for the last two years amid growing fears that people, particularly children, were losing the battle of the bulge.