New evidence may help fight against obesity
Results from a new study by a team of Cambridge scientists led by Dr Ulf Ekelund from the MRC Epidemiology Unit in Cambridge and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (7 February) provide new evidence that may improve the effectiveness of early intervention to prevent young children from becoming obese.
Early life has already been identified as a key period for the development of later obesity. In particular, rapid ‘catch-up’ weight gain in low-weight babies during early postnatal life is a risk factor for obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk. However, there is much debate as to the timing of adverse rapid weight gain. In addition, no studies have shown the effects of rapid early postnatal weight gain on later body fat mass compared with fat free body mass.
This study examined the associations between rapid weight gain (upward percentile crossing on a normal growth chart) in early life with obesity in young adulthood. The results suggest that children who showed accelerated weight gain between birth and 6 months were fatter and taller at age 17 years. Crucially, independently, rapid weight gain in children between 3 to 6 years of age was also associated with increased fat mass and waist circumference at age 17 years.
The study examined 248 subjects and their mothers, who were followed before and during pregnancy and annually until age 6 years. At age 17 years, detailed measurements of fat mass, fat free mass and other obesity indicators were obtained in mothers and children. The observed associations between rapid weight gain in infancy and early childhood and later obesity were not explained by birth weight or by maternal obesity and socioeconomic status.
Lead scientist, Dr Ulf Ekelund, said, “Our results suggest that both infancy and childhood rapid weight gain are risk factors for adiposity and obesity risk. Interestingly, infancy and childhood weight gain may occur through different processes, which might allow separate opportunities for effective early intervention against later obesity risk.”
