My Overweight Child

The My Overweight Child blog will help you keep informed about the latest research, findings, and resources available to parents of overweight or obese kids. There are many knowledgeable people working on the increasingly dire problem of childhood obesity - and we want to give parents a place where they can check in regularly to see the latest studies and tips available to help you help your child lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

We invite you to add your comments - if you have feedback for the blog, would like some specific topics covered, or you just want to share your experience as a parent dealing with childhood obesity.

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Today's Babies Much Fatter Than Babies 20 Years Ago

Babies today are 59% more likely to be overweight than those born in 1989, according to a study from Cornell University. Part of the problem is that 60% of women gain too much weight during pregnancy - a factor associated with chubbier babies.

Dr. Christine Olson, professor of community nutrition, followed 208 mothers and their children during their pregnancies. About 40% of the babies whose mothers were overweight or obese during pregnancy were overweight by age 3.

To protect babies from being overweight, Dr. Olson recommends that all women should limit their pregnancy weight gain to under 30 pounds and breastfeed their children.

Labels: overweight, fatter, babies

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Monday, March 30, 2009

Babies in Daycare Gain More Weight

Infants who are in the care of people other than their parents gain more weight in their first year of life, according to a new study from Harvard University and the University of Illinois.

The finding was troublesome because more infants than ever are in day care, and too much weight gained during the first year of life is a risk factor for becoming overweight as an adult.

Dr. Juhee Kim and Dr. Karen Peterson analyzed data from more than 8,150 children age nine months. Half received nonparental care for at least part of their day. Infants in part-time day care gained 175 grams more than those who were cared for full-time by parents. Infants cared by relatives at least part-time gained 162 more grams. One pound equals about 450 grams.

Labels: weight_gain, daycare, babies

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Sunday, February 15, 2009

Breastfed Babies at Lower Risk for Obesity

Breastfeeding an infant for more than six months may reduce the child's risk of being overweight five years later.

According to study that was conducted at the University of Bristol (United Kingdom), bottle-fed infants have a higher risk for becoming obese or overweight as adults.

This study, which involved a longitudinal analysis of the diets of 880 babies, appeared in the journal Pediatrics.

Labels: mothers, babies, breastfed

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Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Early Childhood Diet Influences Adult Metabolism, Obesity

A study that was conducted at the University of Calgary suggests that the foods we eat as babies and toddlers may influence whether we become fat as adults.

Dr. Raylene Reimer put rats who had been newly weaned from their mothers on one of three diets: high fiber, high protein, or a control diet.

When the rats became adults, Dr. Reimer fed them all high fat, high sugar diets.
The ones who had eaten the high protein diet gained the most weight the most rapidly.
The ones on the high fiber diet put on the least amount of weight.

"The composition of early childhood diet may have a direct impact on genes that control metabolism and obesity risk," Dr. Reimer wrote in her report, which was published in the Journal of Physiology. "The study clearly indicates that diet composition alone can change the trajectory of circulating satiety hormones and metabolic pathways that influence how we gain weight or control blood sugar as adults."

Labels: toddlers, healthy_eating, babies

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