THE number of toddlers and very young children with weight problems is growing, with 30% of those aged between two and six classified as too large, up from 26% the previous year.

The figure was revealed in a Scottish Government health snapshot, which also showed obesity among this age group rose to 13.8% from 11.3% in 1998.

The findings were issued as new research warned suffering obesity as a child may take a bigger toll on health in adulthood than previously thought.

Changes in the nation's health have been tracked using the Scottish Health Survey since 1995. More than 9000 adults and children were interviewed in 2011 to provide the latest results.

The survey has charted some improvements in the nation's habits. Excessive drinking has reduced, although one-quarter of men and just under one-fifth of women were categorized as hazardous or harmful drinkers.

However, there has been no significant change in the number of adults or children eating five fruit and vegetables a day, nor have levels of physical activity increased across the generations in the past four years.

While families appear to have adopted some healthier habits – the proportion of children aged 2-15 consuming crisps once a day or more has decreased from 52% in 2003 to 38% – weight problems among the young seem to be getting worse.

Two-thirds (65.6%) of children had a healthy weight, a decrease from 70.3% in 1998. Girls were significantly more likely than boys to be a healthy weight, 68% compared with 63.4%.

Tam Fry, spokesman for the National Obesity Forum and chairman of the Child Growth Foundation, said the figures did not surprise him.

He said that while middle income families in England appeared to be responding to some healthy living messages, this was still not the case across the UK or the social spectrum.

He said: "There has to be a restructuring of the curriculum so we are teaching children not just two and two makes four, but we are teaching them about cooking and food preparation.

"Then they will have a much better understanding than a whole generation who missed out on domestic science. We have a whole generation of people who are dependent on convenience food."

The proportion of adults who are overweight or obese, based on body mass index calculations, has remained stable at around 64% since 2008.

Despite this statistic, three-quarters of adults described their health as good or very good in response to the new survey.

However, there are fears the number of children with weight problems will lead to more adults with heart disease in future.

Research published in the British Medical Journal today warned previous projections under-estimate the problem.

Claire Friedemann, a researcher on the project, said she believed poor education about diet, including portion sizes, and more time spent in front of television and computer screens, were behind the increases in childhood obesity.

Public Health Minister Michael Matheson noted good news in the health survey, including a large decline in smoking over the years.

He said: "We are already working hard so that everyone across Scotland can enjoy sport and get active. The Scottish Government will deliver 150 Community Sports Hubs across 30 local authorities, and has been investing in opportunities for young people to become more physically active in and around Scotland's schools.

"We have an action plan to help people make healthy choices and support families who are struggling with their weight, while we are collaborating with businesses across the food industry to make affordable, healthier food options more available."