Eight aspects of early life put children at risk of obesity

Early life environment can determine later risk of obesity, according to a UK study of over 8,000 children called the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.

In the entire group, four factors were independently associated with obesity at age 7:

1. Increasing birth weight
2. Parental obesity (one or both parents)
3. More than 8 hours spent watching television per week at age 3 years
4. Short sleep duration (less than 10.5 hours per night at age 3)

A further four factors were significant for a sub-group of the children:

5. Size in early life
6. Rapid weight gain in the first year
7. Rapid catch-up growth between birth and two years
8. Early development of body fatness in the pre-school years, before the age at which body fat should be increasing (ie at age 5/6 years)

So the message is clear: have your baby weighed and measured regularly by your early childhood sister or local doctor especially if yours is a family where overweight is common. Limit time spend in front of the television and watch toddlers who don't sleep as much as they should.

   Reference: Reilly JR, Armstrong J, Dorosty AR, et al. Early life risk factors for obesity in childhood: cohort study. Br Med J,doi:10.1136/bmj.38470.670903.E0 (published 20 May 2005)