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Deanie Wimmer ReportingNew Research contradicts our image of a healthy baby and the consequences can last a lifetime.
Would you say this is a chubby baby or a healthy baby? We've always been taught they're the same thing, but a study in the journal Pediatrics found even a few pounds too much dramatically raises the likelihood babies will grow up to be obese kids.
20-month-old Benjamin weighs in at his well-baby checkup and he's right on target. But his pediatrician sees a growing number of patients tipping the scale.
Dr. Meri Harper, City Creek Pediatrics: "I definitely have seen a trend very much in increased rates of obesity in my older children and toddlers."
Childhood obesity rates have tripled since the 1970s, so researchers in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics set out to find whether and when body mass index predicted obesity. They found a startling link
Babies as young as 24 months who were higher than 85th-percentile in weight related to height and age were five times more likely to be obese at age 12. In fact, researchers tracked preschoolers and found six of 10 who were ever over 85th-percentile were obese by 12. Two in 10 over even the 50th percentile were obese. But 0 who stayed under the 50th percentile were obese.
Dr. Meri Harper: "Well what you want to look for is an early pattern of very fast growth that doesn't fit their linear growth."
Benjamin's mom makes a conscious effort to help her toddler develop healthy habits, but it's not easy for kids or adults.
Juli Beaird, Mom: "I make sure he has healthy snacks al day. But as far as making sure he doesn't eat chocolate, we do have chocolate in our house, so he does get some of that, too."
What can you do? Pediatricians say juice is the number one offender, give your child less than six ounces a day. Then substitute with water. You can also encourage babies to be active.
