Risks for childhood obesity

By the tender age of three, children are developing habits that will mean they are more likely to be overweight or obese. “We shouldn’t be complacent about the lifestyles of our children,” Dr. John Reilly, an expert on child obesity at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, said. “What our study is showing is that although there are early growth risk factors, there are also a number of risk factors that relate to lifestyle, of 3-year-olds and probably earlier, that seem to make a difference.” This study found that another predictor of obesity was whether the child’s parents were obese — a connection that can be explained not only by genetics but by environmental factors such as what’s in the refrigerator.

He and his colleagues, whose findings were reported online by the British Medical Journal, studied more than 9,000 7-year-old children whose growth had been followed since birth. US health experts estimate that about 10 percent of children — or at least 155 million youngsters worldwide — are overweight or obese, and overweight and obese children have a higher risk of suffering from type 2 diabetes and, later in life, of developing heart disease, stroke and certain types of cancer.

Reilly stressed that efforts to prevent obesity should begin very early in life. “We are missing an opportunity to prevent obesity if we do not modify lifestyle and environment early in life. We need to be looking more at improving long-term outcomes by changing lifestyle,” he added.

Scientists have drawn up a checklist of early warning signs of child obesity, among them too much television and not enough sleep. More than eight hours’ TV a week or less than 10 and a half hours of sleep a night for a 3-year-old increase the risk of piling on the pounds, they say. “Eight factors in early life are associated with an increased risk of obesity in childhood,” said Dr. Reilly. “There are certain factors, very early on, which can set a child on the path to becoming obese. The others high birth weight, early size, rapid weight gain, quick growth in years one and two, early body fat and having obese parents. A propensity to gain weight begins early, even in the womb. “If you are big early on and you grow rapidly, it seems to predict risk of obesity later on,” said Reilly. “There is something about size and growth, even in the womb, that seems to have an effect.”

What to do?

Feed your child for the physiological reason for eating — to produce a healthy child and adult, not for a reward or emotional reason. Check with your pediatrician and/or a dietician for individualized recommendations.

The information presented here is not medical advice. You need to talk with your physician before making lifestyle changes. Please e-mail me with your suggestions, questions and comments on healthy living at [email protected].