Infant Appetite and Weight Gain is Genetic
Increased appetite in newborn infants is considered a blessing among parents and caregivers, their primary concern being that the child gets enough of the right nutrients to grow into a healthy and active child.
It is normally later in a child's life when parents begin to get concerned about overeating, weight gain, and obesity.
But new research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association: Pediatrics challenges these assumptions, arguing that "very healthy" eating habits in infants may in-fact lead to early childhood obesity. Worse, it may even be hardwired into the brain.
One study found that in twins, the one with a heartier appetite in early infancy was at greater risk of developing early childhood obesity. The study's research team determined this after assessing the appetite of several sets of non-identical, same-sex twins under 15 months old for three months. The researchers found that while twins with a higher food responsiveness grew at healthier rates than those with less interest in food, twins with high food responsiveness but a low responsiveness to being satiated -- which researchers referred to as a heightened appetite -- were more likely to gain weight past the recommended body mass index for a child their age. The researchers also explained that this early overactive appetite in infants, where the brain isn't as fast in understanding when the body is satiated, may be a marker for a higher risk of obesity in later years.
A similar study published at the same time connected low satiety responsiveness in infants to genetic makeup. According to the study, infants with genetic traits highlighted for a lower satiation rate were far more likely to be overweight than infants without the genetic markers. The researchers concluded that this means, in some small way obesity is genetic, and risks for it even at a very young age.
Both research teams urged parents to keep watchful eyes on the eating habits of their children, even at infancy. For parents raising children in an environment rich with food, such as the U.S., it is recommended that steps be taken to teach children when they are full as early as possible.
The studies were both published in JAMA Pediatrics on February 17.
Feb 19, 2014 01:09 PM EST
