Children who are clumsy and poorly coordinated are more likely to become obese when they become adults, according to Swedish and British researchers.

Researchers assessed a number of children testing cognitive and physical functions. They found that children who performed least well in the tests were more likely to be obese at age 33. It is also likely that these children do not engage in sports.

The researchers included teams from Sweden's Karolinska Institute and London's Imperial College. The research began in 1958 as Britain's National Child Development Study and included 11,000 participants.

Seven and 11-year-olds were assessed in hand control, coordination and clumsiness. Each individual's body mass index was recorded at age 33. An analysis of the data showed that those with poorer functions had a higher risk of obesity.

The study revealed that seven-year-old participants that exhibited poor coordination subsequently had twice the risk of obesity.

Researcher Scott Montgomery believes that the participants lacked exercise during childhood, which could have helped them develop fine motor control.

The complete study was just published in the British Medical Journal.