Research

Energy balance

Rapid weight gain in infancy and the second year of life, exceeding normal growth standards, is associated with an increased risk of subsequent obesity.

Monitor your infant's growth using standard growth charts. Avoid rapid weight gain that exceeds these standards, as it is linked to a higher risk of obesity later in life. Focus on balanced feeding practices rather than forcing extra food.

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Rapid weight gain in infancy and in the second year of life, over and above the average weight gain defined by reference growth standards, has been consistently associated with increased subsequent obesity risk in several meta-analyses.
Berthold Koletzko et al. · Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism · 2019

Source

Nutrition During Pregnancy, Lactation and Early Childhood and its Implications for Maternal and Long-Term Child Health: The Early Nutrition Project Recommendations

Berthold Koletzko et al. · Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism · 2019

DOI 10.1159/000496471

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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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