- Impact of cohort research
- Alcohol consumption
- Aspirations at school
- Cohorts and crime
- Diet at an early age
- Emotional wellbeing
- Escaping childhood poverty
- Family separation
- Impact of smoking on newborns
- Maternal stress in pregnancy
- Rising obesity
- Social disadvantage and health
- Social mobility
- Teenage parents
Quarter of three year olds already overweight – why diet at an early age matters
The Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) surveyed over 14,000 three year olds and has produced one of the largest data sets of young children in the UK. MCS found that a quarter of three year olds in the sample were already obese. The study found that there were significant ethnic differentials in obesity levels. Indian children had the lowest levels of obesity, whilst Black Caribbean children had the highest.
Data from the 1958 cohort was among the first to highlight that the conditions of a child's early life could influence the development of obesity. Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) was also used to show how the diet of children could decide whether someone becomes overweight later in life. This evidence combined with evidence from earlier studies has encouraged politicians to promote positive dietary habits at a young age.
The Government commissioned a major initiative, Foresight Tackling Obesities in 2005 [1] that included extensive evidence from the cohorts.
References
- Tackling Obesities: Future Choices, Foresight, 2007 (external website)
