User:Reedb 2020/New-sandbox

Chubby Babies

"Chubby babies" are most often perceived to be healthy and therefore they are commonly described as being cute. The idea that an infant will eventually outgrow the excess fat is a common misconception. Studies have shown that when considering a range of factors, that infant weight alone has proven to be a strong link to adult obesity.

Among the factors of what causes infants to be born at high birth weights, is the idea that a mother that is overweight at the time of pregnancy and/ or a mother that develops gestational diabetes during pregnancy is at risk of giving birth to an infant with a higher birth weight. Parents are often allowing there young children, including infants, to overeat causing them to gain more weight. One way for mothers to prevent over eating is by breastfeeding. Breastfeeding alone, for as long as possible, has proven to help prevent infants from gaining excess weight.

Over the past 30 years the number of overweight children has doubled and one fifth of American children from age 2 to 5 are considered to be overweight. Childhood obesity is a trending upward and becoming more common. Due to the fact that babies go through stages where they gain and lose weight children under the age of 2 are not labeled or defined as being obese or overweight.

If a child is overweight there is a greater chance that once an adult they will develop chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension.