Fattening Up Skinny Toddlers Risks Heart Health

A new study says toddlers who are skinny at age two, and then rapidly put on weight, are up to three times more likely to develop coronary heart disease as adults than their chubbier playmates. Researchers suggest that it is the rate of weight gain between the ages of two and 11 that most strongly relates to the risk of heart disease in adult life – not a child’s actual body weight at a given age. Small babies who were thin at age two and then rapidly put on weight were also more likely to have insulin resistance in adulthood – increasing their risk of heart disease. Although lifestyle factors do also affect adults’ risk of heart disease, this study says that the evidence indicates that the pattern of early growth is crucial.