Nearly one in four children in primary one are at risk of being either overweight or obese, according to official statistics.
Out of 44,782 P1 pupils in Scotland, 34,3294 were of a healthy weight in 2018-2019.
A total of 5459 were at risk of being overweight, while 4590 were said to be at risk of obesity. Some 439 children were said to be at risk of being underweight.
Since 2001-2002, the proportion of P1 children at risk of being overweight or obese has increased in the most deprived areas but decreased in the least deprived areas.
In the most recent figures, of the 9,561 children recorded in the most deprived areas in Scotland, 2,526 (26.4%) were judged to be at risk of being either overweight or obese.
In the least deprived areas, 1,614 (17.6%) of 9,182 children were at risk of being overweight or obese.
ISD Scotland also found boys in P1 are slightly less likely than girls to have a healthy weight.
Of the 22,846 boys in the study, 5,317 (23.3%) were at an overweight or obesity risk.
The number was slightly lower for girls in P1 with 4,732 (21.6%) of the 21,936 who were measured said to be at the same risk.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We are determined to improve Scotland’s diet and our ambition is to halve child obesity by 2030 and significantly reduce diet-related health inequalities.
“Wide-ranging action includes the introduction of a Restricting Foods Promotions Bill before the end of this Parliamentary session to restrict junk food promotions that encourage impulse buying and over-consumption.
“The Scottish Government and Cosla will establish a new national health body, Public Health Scotland, on April 1 2020, which will have a leading role in supporting work to tackle health inequalities.”
