Do Bigger Babies Become Fatter Adults?
Oct. 13, 2005 — Chubbiness is generally considered to be a sign of good health in babies, but it may also be a warning sign for obesity later in life, say researchers in the U.K. They report that big babies and those who gain the most weight during the first two years of life appear to have an increased risk for being overweight later in childhood and beyond. The researchers based this conclusion on a review of 24 studies that examined the relationship between early weight gain and later obesity. The review is reported in the Oct. 13 edition of the British Medical Journal. “There are a whole range of factors that influence infant growth,” researcher Janis Baird, MD, PhD, tells WebMD.
