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Many experts believe a child's weight
at birth is tied to the risk of obesity in adulthood. But
the mother's weight and
the child's rate of growth
in the first 7 years of life may be more important
clues to the risk of adult obesity.
The study found that children who were
closest to their adult height by the age of 7 years were
more likely than their smaller peers to be obese at age 33.
Boys who grew rapidly in childhood, particularly those who
were smaller at birth, were especially likely to become obese
as adults.
Their study also found that a child's
birth weight was only weakly associated with the risk of adult
obesity after taking into account the mother's weight. Heavier
mothers, for instance, tend to have larger babies who grow
up to be heavier adults. A father's weight had no affect on
his child's later risk of obesity.
British
Medical Journal December 8, 2001;323:1320-1321, 1331-1335
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