A new study reveals young children who are overweight at any stage are much more likely to be overweight when they reach early adolescence. The research is published in the current edition of Pediatrics. KPBS Reporter Kenny Goldberg has the story.
Researchers studied more than 1,000 children at a variety of ages. They found even children under five who were overweight were much more likely to be overweight at age 12.
The study's lead author is pediatrician Philip Nader, professor emeritus at UCSD. He says parents of overweight children as young as three should take action.
Nader: "So you're not really talking about a weight management program for someone who's only three, but you're really trying to look at the environment for nutrition and activity, and television watching that a three-year-old might be exposed to."
Dr. Nader says overweight children tend to become overweight adults. That puts them at risk of health problems later in life. Kenny Goldberg, KPBS News.
