Councillors say they are already taking action to reduce obesity

A report by NHS Fife's director of public health, Dr Gina Radford, showed that more than a quarter of primary one pupils in 2005/06 were overweight.

Fife Council insisted work was going on in schools to tackle the problem, including encouraging healthy eating.

Active schools co-ordinators have been appointed to coax young people into becoming more active after lessons.

The figures showed that about 15% of the children surveyed were classed as overweight.

A further 11% were either obese or severely obese, based on findings covering the NHS Fife region.

We want children in Fife to be as healthy as possible Councillor Douglas Chapman

The area with the lowest rate was Argyll and Clyde, where less that one in five youngsters are overweight.

Dr Radford said: "There are clearly wider societal issues to consider with regard to tackling the issue of overweight children.

"There are various projects ongoing in Fife to give children the skills to make healthy choices, which include healthy tuck shops, the fruit in schools initiative and exercise co-ordinators working with schools and the community."

The report has been presented to Fife Council's social work and health committee.

The committee's chairman, councillor Douglas Chapman, said: "We want children in Fife to be as healthy as possible.

"We know that what they experience in their early life impacts on them as they grow older."

Figures also showed that the problem was equally apparent among adults.

About two thirds of adult women registered an above average body mass index (BMI) in 2003.

When the study was carried out five years earlier, that figure was less than 50%.