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Rapid Weight Gain During a Baby's First Few Months May Be Indicative of Obesity Later
Physical Activity is Important, Even For the Little Ones
Courtesy of MUSChealth.com
February 20, 2002 - Weight gain in early infancy—a possible link to future obesity
Babies who rapidly gain weight during the first 4 months of
their lives tend to be more prone to obesity when they are
7 years old, according to a new study. The results suggest
that obesity may be prevented earlier than previously
thought, through intervention early on to establish
appropriate feeding and growth patterns in infants.
Obesity is a growing health concern in the United
States—even among young children. Past studies have
linked several factors to a child’s predisposition toward
obesity later in life, including the following:
- a mother who is overweight
- gestational diabetes during pregnancy
- high birthweight
- formula feeding versus breastfeeding
- early introduction of solid foods
- overfeeding
- television viewing/sedentary lifestyle
In the current study, researchers examined the association
between the rate of weight gain between birth and 4
months of age and the prevalence of childhood obesity
among 27,899 participants between 1959 and 1965. The
study found that for each 100 grams of weight gain per
month between birth and age 4 months, the risk of being
overweight at age 7 was increased by 29 percent. This
finding appeared to be independent of birthweight and
weight at age 1.
However, the study did not assess the impact of
breastfeeding on the development of obesity later on. In
addition, the participants in the study were born in the
1960s, when infant feeding recommendations were
different from today, including the fact that infants were
introduced to solid foods at an early age in the 1960s. (The
American Academy of Pediatrics states that exclusive
breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life provides ideal
nutrition and is sufficient to support growth and
development.)
Physical activity is important for babies, toddlers, and
preschoolers
Babies and young children are confined too much in their
strollers, play pens, and car and infant seats, according to
the National Association for Sport and Physical
Education (NASPE). This confinement can lead to
sedentary habits and childhood obesity, the NASPE
warns.
In response, the NASPE has released its first physical
activity guidelines for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
“Adopting a physically active lifestyle early in life increases
the likelihood that infants and young children will learn to
move skillfully,” said Dr. Jane Clark, professor and chair of
the Department of Kinesiology at the University of
Maryland, and chair of the NASPE Early Childhood
Physical Activity Guidelines Task Force.
Five guidelines were developed for each age group
covered in the new guidelines:
Infants
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Interaction with parents and/or caregivers in daily
physical activities is important in promoting
exploration of the environment. Examples include
playing peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake, or carrying a
child to new environments for exploration.
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Place infants in safe environments where they can be
physically active and not be restricted in their
movements for long periods of time.
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Physical activity should promote development of
movement skills.
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The environment should meet or exceed the
recommended safety standards for infants to
practice large muscle activities.
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Parents and caregivers should be aware of the
importance of physical activity for infants and
encourage movement skills.
Toddlers and Preschoolers
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Toddlers should participate in at least 30 minutes of
daily, structured, physical activity—preschoolers
should get at least 60 minutes of structured physical
activity a day.
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Toddlers and preschoolers should engage in at least
60 minutes (and up to several hours) of daily,
unstructured, physical activity. In addition, they
should not be sedentary for more than 60 minutes at
a time, except when sleeping.
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Toddlers should develop movement skills that lead
up to more complex movement tasks; preschoolers
should become competent in movement skills that
lead to more complex movement tasks. For
instance, running, jumping, throwing, and kicking do
not naturally occur as the child grows older. Instead,
these movement skills are influenced by the
environment. Children who are not exposed to stairs
may be take longer to learn to climb stairs, and
children who are not encouraged to bounce and
chase balls may fall behind in hand-eye
coordination.
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Safe indoor and outdoor areas should be available
for performing large muscle activity.
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Parents and caregivers should be aware of the
importance of physical activity for toddlers and
preschoolers and encourage movement skills.
"Children and youth who do not participate in adequate
physical activity are much more likely to be sedentary as
adults than children and youth who are active," said
NASPE Executive Director, Judy Young, Ph.D.
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