The government could miss a key target to halt the rise of obesity in children by 2010 unless it improves leadership at all levels, an influential report said on Tuesday.

Obesity costs the National Health Service one billion pounds per year and in 2003 13.7 percent of youngsters were obese.

The report by the National Audit Office, the Healthcare Commission and the Audit Commission said greater clarity and direction was needed by the government to halt the rise of obesity.

“Childhood obesity is a serious health problem that can follow people much later into life,” Healthcare Commission Chief Executive Anna Walker said in the report.

“It is a causal factor in a number of chronic diseases and conditions including high blood pressure, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

“If we are serious about tackling childhood obesity, then all government agencies and organisations must work together more effectively.”

Walker said the government should be praised for setting such tough targets but said more needed to be done to tackle the problem. She said more guidance was needed locally for schools, parents and health groups.

Obesity currently costs the NHS one billion pounds and a further 2.3 billion for the economy as a whole. But if the trend continues, the cost to the economy could rise to 3.6 billion pounds by 2010.

The report warned that a lack of “timely guidance” meant that organisations that were supposed to be working together had been unclear about their roles.

It also said that key parts of the government’s plan to reduce obesity had still not been published despite the initial target being announced in 2004.

Public Health Minister Caroline Flint said the government knew it had to do more but said huge steps forward had already been taken.

“We know that leadership and co-ordination are going to be crucial as is giving people information and support in making a difference to their own lives,” she said in a statement.