Air date: August 21, 2011

Host: Jeremy Shere, PhD

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Did you Know? is presented by Wishard Health Services, becoming Eskenazi Health in 2014.

Big, chubby babies are cute. But did you know that babies who are too big are at risk for becoming obese later on?

That’s according to a report from the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers there say that around 10 percent of infants under two are overweight, while an alarming 20% between the ages of 2 and 5 are heavy. And other studies have shown that the eating and lifestyle habits that cause kids to become overweight tend to stay with them into adulthood.

So what can be done? The report recommends that pediatricians identify infants at risk for obesity -- and that parents and caregivers make sure that infants and toddlers get enough sleep. Less sleep time can cause metabolic changes that lead to overeating, and by giving kids more time to snack.

And now you know.

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Did you Know is presented by Wishard Health Services, becoming Eskenazi Health in 2014.

Additional Resources:

• Read the report from the NAS's Institute of Medicine.