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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Even the youngest children are getting in on an unhealthy trend. Doctors are now warning about the health risks that can develop when kids who aren't even old enough to go to school are overweight.
The number of overweight children in the United States has grown significantly in the past few decades. A new study from the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention of Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Heath Care reveals it is now more likely for all youth to be overweight, particularly infants.
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"This information is important to public health because previous studies show that accelerated weight gain in the first few months after birth is associated with obesity later in life," says Matthew Gillman, M.D., senior study author.
Researchers observed more than 120,000 kids for 22 years, all younger than 6 years old. The amount of overweight children rose from 6.3 percent to 10 percent and the amount of children at risk for future weight problems increased from 11.1 percent to 14.4 percent -- infants being the group most at risk.
Until now, data related to infant weight have been limited, making the study findings potentially helpful.
"These results show that efforts to prevent obesity must start at the earliest stages of human development, even before birth," noted Dr. Gillman. He suggested these pre-birth endeavors should consist of not smoking, preventing major weight gain while pregnant, encouraging breast feeding and avoiding gestational diabetes.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Obesity, 2006;14
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