Poverty in Glasgow is being blamed for malnutrition in almost one in five youngsters who attended a children's hospital in the city.

Professor Lawrence Weaver, who conducted a survey at Yorkhill Hospital, says poverty and ill-health are inextricably linked.

Health experts say many families cannot afford a more varied diet.

Scottish ministers have backed local campaigns to persuade youngsters to snack on fruit rather than fizzy drinks and crisps.

Opponents say this clashes with recent moves in schools to allow sponsored branding by drinks manufacturers.

Professor Weaver's study, which is being presented to a conference on childhood malnutrition on Friday, involved a random sample of 226 children between the ages of seven months and 16 years.

Muscle wasteage

About 16% were found to be underweight for their age, 15% had stunted growth, and eight per cent showed evidence of muscle wastage.

Professor Weaver, who is head of Glasgow University's child health department, said: "Poverty and ill-health are very closely related, and nutrition in food is one of the important connections between the two. You are what you eat."

Martin Raymond of the Health Education Board for Scotland said: "If your children decide they do not want to eat that particular meal and you don't have the luxury of more cash to go out and buy another meal, or use up some more food, then that's a real problem."

Deputy Community Care Minister Iain Gray said: "We have to be really careful about trying to say, particularly to young people, don't do this, don't do this, don't do this, you must do that.

"We know, any parent knows, how well that works. It doesn't work. What we're talking about is small changes.

"Eat more fruit, sometimes, instead of never."