Portion of Overweight Babies Nearly Doubles
From Times Wire Reports
Chubby cheeks and dimpled thighs have long been a mother’s proof of a healthy, well-fed baby. But those roly-poly infants may be a sign of America’s weight problem.
Among babies 6 months and younger, the proportion who were overweight jumped to nearly 6% from about 3% in 1980, according to the study published this week in the International Journal of Obesity.
Accelerated weight gain in a child’s early months can predict weight problems and higher blood pressure later, said author Dr. Matthew Gillman of Harvard Medical School.
