Nine in ten mothers of overweight children are blind to the fact their children have a a weight problem, national research shows.

The Health Survey for England found that just one in four children who weigh too much recognised the issue, while the vast majority of their parents were suffering from ‘obesity blindness.’

The study published by NHS Digital found 91 per cent of overweight children were described as being about the right weight by their mothers while 80 per cent of fathers shared that view.