First five years key to preventing obesity says research

THE first five years of a child's life are crucial when it comes to preventing obesity in the future, according to researchers.

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Experts in the Netherlands found body mass index (BMI) at age six is a better predictor of obesity in later life than at other points of childhood.

They suggest the first years of life are a "fantastic opportunity to intervene" and give youngsters a “chance at a happy, healthy” future.

Researchers used data from an ongoing study known as Generation R to track the BMI of thousands of children in the Netherlands at age two, six, 10, 14 and 18.