BABY OBESITY

By the numbers

A recent Wayne State University Study of 8,000 American infants born in 2001 revealed that the obesity epidemic has reached the diaper set. The study used percentiles determined by standard growth charts, which take into account sex, age, height and weight. Here are the results:

31.9 percent of 9-month-olds were obese or at risk for obesity.

34.3 percent of 2-year-olds were obese or at risk for obesity.

17 percent of the infants were obese at 9 months, rising to 20 percent at 2 years.

44 percent of the infants who were obese at 9 months remained obese at 2 years.

Hispanic and low-income children were at greater risk for weight status gain.

Females and Asian/Pacific Islanders were at lower risk for weight status gain.

How to fight it

Eat a healthful prenatal diet. Don’t gain more than what is recommended by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Don’t overfeed a baby. Look for visual cues, like slowed sucking, averted eyes, and boredom, to indicate satiation.

If a baby has been fed and is still crying, try to soothe him in other ways. Use a pacifier or familiar toy. See if his diaper needs to be changed.

Rice cereal is the first solid food for babies. After that, introduce vegetables to get them familiar with the taste. Then move on to fruit.

Avoid giving toddlers too much juice. It is high in calories.

Introduce and encourage physical activity as early as possible.

Keep TV time to a minimum, especially in children 2 and younger.

From Oakland, Calif., pediatrician Gary Bean and Oakland childhood obesity expert Lydia Tinajero-Deck