Children are more likely to be overweight or obese if their mothers are very overprotective, a study has found.

Researchers in Australia set out to investigate the impact of overprotective parenting on children's health and wellbeing. They monitored the progress of almost 2,600 children every two years from when the children were four or five years old in 2004 to when they were 10 or 11 years old in 2010.

The children's families were also assessed and maternal protection was measured using a specific ‘protectiveness parenting scale'.

The study found that mothers who scored moderately high on this parenting scale were 13% more likely to have an overweight or obese child.

Those who were found to be the most over-protective mothers were 27% more likely to have an overweight or obese child.

"However, we only found this pattern once kids reached the age of about 10 or 11. This could be to do with the amount of independence and physical activity that kids get. At 10-11 years, some kids will be allowed to walk or ride to school on their own, or with friends, or participate in sport. Others will be driven around and have greater restrictions," noted lead researcher, Kirsten Hancock, of the Telethon Kids Institute in Perth.

She pointed out that while children have lots of options for physical activities at the ages of 10 and 11, ‘kids with an overprotective parent might miss out, which could explain why we found higher rates of overweight and obesity'.

She said that this marks the first research to demonstrate a direct link between protectiveness and weight problems in children.

Meanwhile, the study also found that the most overprotective mothers tended to come from the areas with the highest levels of socioeconomic and environmental disadvantage - an understandable finding, according to Ms Hancock.

"If they're living in areas with increased traffic congestion, or in neighbourhoods that are less safe, then we need to remember that... it isn't as simple as saying 'let your kids be more active' if the opportunities aren't there," she said.

Details of these findings are published in the journal, PLoS ONE.