Chubby toddlers grow up into overweight adults

A study conducted by University of California, San Diego, reveals that children who are overweight as toddlers are more likely to be overweight in their teens. The study concludes that it is wrong to assume that kids will outgrow their childhood chubbiness.

The study was conducted in 10 U.S. cities on more than 1000 children between the ages of 2 to 12. The kid's height and weight were measured seven times -- at ages 2, 3, 4 1/2, 7, 9, 11, and 12.

The kid's body mass index (BMI), a measure based on height and weight was tracked for the purpose of definition of ‘overweight’. Children were considered overweight if their BMI was in the 85th percentile or higher for their gender and age. In other words, if the child was heavier than at least 85 percent of children of their same age and sex, the child was considered overweight.

The study found that sixty percent of children who were overweight at any time in the preschool period, and 80 percent of the children who were overweight at any time during the elementary period were overweight at age of 12 years.

"These findings underscore the need to maintain a healthy weight beginning in early childhood. Contrary to popular belief, young children who are overweight or obese typically won't lose the extra weight simply as a result of getting older," said Dr. Duane Alexander, director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which funded the study.

The analysis revealed that the more times a child was overweight, the greater were the odds of being overweight at age 12 years relative to a child who was never overweight. The reverse was also true. Kids at the lower end of the BMI range for their age tended not to be overweight at age 12.

The findings of the study suggest that parents need to be more vigilant in recognizing early signs of children being on the path to overweight. They need to be more sensitive to such signs, as fatness being the gateway to other related problems like increase in blood pressure, weak hips and ankles, diabetes and breathing problems.

Study is being published in September’s issue of Pediatrics.