Age two is obesity tipping point
February 12th, 2010 - 3:20 pm ICT by IANSWashington, Feb 12 (IANS) The tipping point in obesity often occurs before two years of age, and sometimes as early as three months, when the child is learning how much and what to eat, says new research.
While many adults consider a chubby baby healthy, too many plump infants grow up to be obese teens, saddling them with Type-2 diabetes, elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure, says a new study.
“I really think this should be a wake up call for doctors,” said principal study investigator John Harrington, paediatrician and professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS).
“Too often, doctors wait until medical complications arise before they begin treatment. What this study suggests is that prevention of obesity should begin far, far earlier,” added Harrington.
This study comes in the midst of alarming rates of childhood obesity, which now ranks among the most prominent health concerns in the US today.
Researchers examined records from a paediatric practice of 111 children whose body mass index (BMI-height to weight ratio) exceeded 85 percent of the general population.
Researchers determined that these children had started gaining weight in infancy at an average rate of .08 excess BMI units per month.
On average, this progression began when the children were three months old. Over half the children became overweight at or before age two and 90 percent before reaching their fifth birthday.
The Clinical Paediatrics study suggests obesity prevention efforts should begin before age two, when children reach a tipping point in a progression that leads to obesity later in life.
“Our study suggests that doctors may want to start reviewing the diet of children during early child visits,” said Harrington.
“Getting parents and children to change habits that have already taken hold is a monumental challenge fraught with road¬blocks and disappointments,” said Harrington.
This study indicates that we may need to discuss inappropriate weight gain early in infancy to affect meaningful changes in the current trend of obesity.”
These findings were published this month in Clinical Paediatrics.
- Age 2 the "tipping point" for obesity - Feb 12, 2010
- Food insecurity may cause obesity, says study - Apr 29, 2012
- Infants of obese mothers slow developers - Aug 07, 2012
- Giving babies antibiotics could make them obese later - Aug 21, 2012
- Antibiotics can induce obesity in children - Aug 22, 2012
- Childhood obesity begins at two - Aug 02, 2008
- Older obese kids eat less than healthy peers - Sep 10, 2012
- Kids develop comic book characters to fight flab - Aug 04, 2011
- Seeds of obesity epidemic sown in babyhood - Nov 08, 2011
- Weight-loss surgery successfully treats overweight teens - Mar 05, 2011
- Prevention of childhood obesity should begin early in life - Mar 01, 2010
- Enriched formula milk could make your baby obese - Oct 03, 2010
- Obesity prevention efforts should begin as early as age two: Experts - Aug 02, 2008
- Severely obese women need to watch weight during pregnancy - Feb 12, 2011
- Obese and overweight women, kids think they weigh less - Mar 24, 2011
Tags: alarming rates, body mass index, body mass index bmi, childhood obesity, chubby baby, clinical paediatrics, eastern virginia medical, eastern virginia medical school, fifth birthday, height to weight ratio, high blood pressure, john harrington, monumental challenge, obese teens, obesity prevention, paediatric practice, prevention efforts, prevention of obesity, principal study, virginia medical school