Westernised eating habits may be to blame for black children being the only ethnic group where richer children are fatter than their poorer counterparts, groundbreaking research has revealed.

Academics from UCL, LSE and University of Washington say their study suggests wealthier black children are more likely to spurn traditional diets that are richer in vegetables and fruits with less meat and fewer sugary drinks.

They found that black children from poorer homes were 37 per cent less likely to be overweight or obese than those from more better off homes.

By contrast, the reverse was true for white children. Fewer than a fifth (18 per cent) of those white youngsters from richer homes were overweight or obese, compared to 21 per cent of those from poorer homes. There was little difference in Indian, Pakistani or Bangladesh households.

Researchers attributed it to the way in which wealthier black African Caribbean families tended to turn their back on traditional Caribbean cuisine which is dominated by foods including rice, plantains, beans, cassava, bell peppers, chickpeas, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and coconut as well as meat.

Black Somali families who had moved to the UK associated fruit and vegetables with poverty, which meant wealthier families were more likely to eat more expensive diets laden with meat and deserts.