Intergenerational influences on childhood body mass index: the effect of parental body mass index trajectories.

Background: Parental obesity in adulthood is a strong determinant of offspring obesity. Whether parental body mass index (BMI; in kg/m2) at earlier life stages is associated with offspring BMI is unknown.

Objective: The main objective was to assess whether recent BMI of parents in adulthood and their recent BMI gain are more strongly associated with offspring BMI than are BMI or changes in parental BMI in childhood.

Child-to-adult body mass index and height trajectories: a comparison of 2 British birth cohorts.

Markers of growth and changes of body mass index (BMI) are associated with adult chronic disease risk. To better understand such associations, the authors examined the 1946 (n approximately 5,300) and 1958 (n approximately 17,000) British birth cohorts to establish how child-to-adult height and BMI have changed across generations. Individuals born in 1958 were no heavier at birth than those born in 1946, but they were taller in childhood by about 1 cm on average, grew faster thereafter, and were 3-4 cm taller by adolescence.

Physical activity to prevent obesity in young children: cluster randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To assess whether a physical activity intervention reduces body mass index in young children.

Design: Cluster randomised controlled single blinded trial over 12 months.

Setting: Thirty six nurseries in Glasgow, Scotland.