Childhood Obesity Risk: Two Major Contributors

Babies who are bottle-fed until the age of two are 30% more likely to be obese when they start school, according to the Journal of Pediatrics. Data from nearly 7,000 children across the United States showed that bottle-feeding can make babies consume too many calories. The researchers suggest that parents should be encouraged to stop using a bottle by the child's first birthday because of the risk of over-feeding.

A new study from American Journal of Clinical Nutrition explains maternal weight gain in pregnancy and its potential long-term effects on offspring adiposity. The huge sibling study showed that in normal-weight mothers, most of the association between maternal weight gain and later offspring BMI is explained by shared familial (genetic and early environmental) characteristics, whereas evidence indicates a contribution of intrauterine mechanisms in overweight and obese women.