Parents who are better educated feed their children fewer foods that are linked to obesity, a new study has found.

According to the findings, the children of parents with low or medium levels of education consume more processed foods and sugary drinks and less fruit and vegetables.

The study by an international group of scientists looked at the relationship between the education levels of parents and how often their children eat foods known to contribute to weight problems.

Over 14,400 children from eight European countries, including Spain, Germany, Belgium and Cyprus, took part.

The study appeared to confirm that parents with a lower level of education are more likely to feed their children foods high in fat and sugar, compared to parents with a higher education level.

Those with a higher level of education tended to feed their children more nutritious foods, such as fruit, vegetables, rice and wholemeal bread.

The scientists believe the findings show that children from lower socio-economic groups may have a greater risk of becoming overweight and obese.

"The greatest differences among families with different levels of education are observed in the consumption of fruit, vegetables and sweet drinks. Programmes for the prevention of childhood obesity through the promotion of healthy eating habits should specifically tackle less advantaged social and economic groups in order to minimise inequalities in health," they insisted.

Details of these findings are published in the journal, Public Health Nutrition.