| Early years vital for curbing obesity { May 20 2005 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active) http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1619544,00.htmlhttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1619544,00.html
May 20, 2005
Early years vital for curbing obesity By Sam Lister YOUNG children who watch more than eight hours of television a week and sleep fewer than ten hours a night are at a greater risk of obesity, research suggests. A child’s weight at birth, rapid weight gain in the first year of life, growth spurts in the first two years and early development of body fatness have been linked by scientists to obesity in later life.
Having either one or two obese parents can also be a factor, according to the new study, published in the British Medical Journal.
The new study supports the notion that aspects of a child’s early development influence their weight in later life. Researchers from the University of Glasgow studied 8,234 children aged 7, plus a further sample of 909 children who were taking part in a national study.
The children’s height and weight were measured and their body mass index — a measure of weight in relation to height — was calculated. The researchers then considered a range of factors which might increase the risk of obesity. Recent figures show that the prevalence of obesity among children aged 2 to 10 in England tripled in 12 years, from 5 per cent in 1990 to 15.5 per cent in 2002. In 2003 it dropped to 13.7 per cent.
More than a quarter of all children are now classified as either overweight or obese — 30 per cent of boys and 26 per cent of girls. The researchers suggested that children who were more physically active may sleep longer at night and this might explain the link between duration of sleep and being overweight.
“Our study provides evidence of the role of the early life environment in the later risk of obesity,” the researchers concluded. “Prevention strategies for childhood obesity to date have usually been unsuccessful and typically focus on change in lifestyle during childhood or adolescence.
“Future interventions might focus on relatively short periods in early life.”
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