When it comes to predicting a baby’s adult weight it turns out that little things –at least in combination—mean a lot. Calculating mom’s weight, dad’s weight, mom’s occupation and level of education and even whether she smoked while expecting – along with the baby’s birth weight—can together be an effective determinant of determining whether a child is at risk of obesity.
Doctors at the Imperial College of London have developed a fairly simple mathematical formula which they say they used to effectively predict babies’ future weights in studies conducted in the United States, Finland and Italy.
Researchers, who reported their findings recently in the journal Plos One, believe their formula is an easy and effective tool for pediatricians to identify children at risk of obesity and provide counsel and support to their parents.
Interested? You can find the calculator (which requires the BMI or Body Mass Index of both parents on the child’s birth date) here: http://files-good.ibl.fr/childhood-obesity/