Childhood obesity can begin as early as 9 months of age, researchers find

[Still a Democrat]

Source: Los Angeles Times

...

The data included height, weight and demographic characteristics of 8,900 9-month-old babies and 7,500 2-year-old toddlers. Obese children were defined as those who exceeded the 95th percentile for body-mass index (as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), and those between the 85th and 95th percentile were considered "at risk."

Moss and Yeaton found that 32% of children were either obese or at risk of obesity by the tender age of 9 months. That figure increased to 34% by the time the munchkins reached their second birthdays.

"We weren't surprised by the prevalence rates we found in our study, but we were surprised the trend began at such a young age," Moss said in a statement.


Among the patterns that emerged:

Boys were more at risk than girls (this contradicted earlier research).

Latinos had the highest risk.

Geographic location was not consistently associated with being obese or at risk.

The family's socioeconomic status didn't seem to make a difference at 9 months of age. But by two years, the kids in the bottom economic 20% were most likely to be obese or at risk, while those in the top 20% were least likely to be obese or at risk.

No one is suggesting that babies be put on a diet. But knowing more about the demographic characteristics of very young children who are more likely to become obese could help health officials and parents prevent later health troubles by promoting healthier eating and lifestyle choice.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-obese-babies-20101231,0,7619490.story

[TNDemo]

1. My kids were all in the 99 percentilt

And grew up to be skinny adults. Wish they would gain some weight.

[PADemD]

5. Mine, too.

My son was made fun of by a thin kid in daycare. My son grew up to be thin, and the thin kid grew up to be obese. Talk about karma.

[TNDemo]

7. I remember talking to the pediatrician we had with the

first one. She was about 18 months old and "tons of fun" (my babies all gained a pound a week when I was breastfeeding them and were 17 pounds before they were three months old and still packed it on for a couple of years). The first pediatrician we had kept giving me dire warnings when she was a few months old about how she was going to be obese and I should give her water or juice (?) between feedings to hold her off (which only made her hungry) and made me feel like I was abusing my child. He also asked me how much breast milk she got every day and I told him I didn't have a flow gauge to find out. We moved to another state when she was a year old and I asked pediatrician #2 if she was too fat and he said basically yes, but I probably just had fat babies. He said you can look at the parents and pretty well figure out their outcome. He said his first baby was very skinny and he and his wife worried themselves to death and weighed him constantly. Then the second one was that way, then the third. They grew up normally. He said if I had another baby it would probably be fat too (had two more and they were fat) but it didn't matter until they got to be about four or so and if they were too fat then, it was time to take action. All my fatties lost it all by about age three. Sometimes I think we just worry ourselves to death about things when we should just enjoy our kids.

[defendandprotect]

2. Look at the garbage we're feeding these kids ....

The colostrum revolution is a long time in coming!!

Imagine, substituting soy milk for breastmilk -- and how many of

never challenged that insanity!!

[Cleita]

3. What? No more fat, rosy cheeked babies?

What a shame.

[midnight]

4. I suppose those in Washington know this info. too. However,

they also know that fresh veggies and fruits, are usually not available in stores were the bottom 20% probably get their food on a regular basis... It is this type of info. that needs to be dovetailed into our national strategies when allocating food stamps, bringing in fresh foods to convenient stores in these neighborhoods. Let's get going.. We have to fund our citizens with more dollars to buy more nutritious food. Not move the money from family homes into the schools...

[Rage for Order]

6. Can't blame this one on McDonalds

"32% of children were either obese or at risk of obesity by the tender age of 9 months. That figure increased to 34% by the time the munchkins reached their second birthdays."

Kids don't even know what a Happy Meal is at the age of 2. Now can we blame it on irresponsible parents?

[Demeter]

8. Given the ridiculously narrow margins of "normal Birthing" protocols in medicine today

this is just more of the same. Pretty soon, mothers will be c-sectioned, replaced by machines, and all children will be widgets--identical and ready to kill as programmed...

It is disgusting what this nation does to its women and children.

[earcandle]

9. I bet it is in the baby food. Analyze that and see if that isn't the problem here.

[Nikia]

11. By their nutritionals, it shouldn't be

Most of it is pure stuff with a little vitamin fortification. It would probably make great diet food. I don't think that they are lying. Have you tasted baby food recently?

[Codeine]

12. baby food is as simple as can be.

It's the basic food product - say peas, for example - and enough water to process it into goo.

The problem is all the other shit people feed the babies; I've seen parents put Coke or Dr. Pepper from a fountain machine into a baby bottle more than a few times.

[Nikia]

10. How can 32% of the children be above the 85th percentile?

By definition, wouldn't it be 15%? What year were these charts created?
The question is: Do heavy 9 month old children or 2 year olds grow up to be obese adults? It is not obvious from this study that heavy young children are the same people that become heavy adults.

[ingac70]

13. My niece looked like Buddha at 9 months.

She was a tubby little thing until she started walking. She gradually slimmed and by 4 was bone skinny, and at 6 still is.

Fat babies are cute!