title: To what extent do weight gain and eating avidity during infancy predict later adiposity?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the extent to which weight gain and eating behaviours in infancy predict later adiposity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based, prospective, longitudinal birth cohort study. Weights collected in infancy were used to calculate Z-scores for weight gain to age 1 year conditional on birth weight (CWG). To avoid multiple significance tests, variables from the parent questionnaire completed at age 1 year describing eating avidity were combined using general linear modelling to create an infancy avidity score. Anthropometry, skinfold thicknesses and bioelectrical impedance data collected at age 7-8 years were combined using factor analysis, to create an adiposity index.
  
  
  METHODS
  Gateshead, UK.
  
  
  METHODS
  Members of the Gateshead Millennium Study cohort with data at both time points (n 561).
  
  
  RESULTS
  CWG in infancy significantly predicted adiposity at age 7 years, but related more strongly to length and lean mass. High adiposity (> 90th internal percentile) at age 7 years was significantly associated with high CWG (relative risk 2·76; 95% CI 1·5, 5·1) in infancy, but less so with raised (> 74th internal percentile) eating avidity in infancy (relative risk 1·87; 95% CI 0·9, 3·7). However, the majority of children with high weight gain (77·6%) or avidity (85·5%) in infancy did not go on to have high adiposity at age 7 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rapid weight gain in infancy and the eating behaviours which relate to it do predict later adiposity, but are more strongly predictive of later stature and lean mass.
authors: Community Child Health, PEACH Unit, School of Medicine, MVLS, QMH Tower, Yorkhill Hospitals, Glasgow G3 8SJ, UK. cmw7a@clinmed.gla.ac.uk
authors: Charlotte M
authors: CM
authors: Wright
authors: Katherine Marie
authors: KM
authors: Cox
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Sherriff
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Franco-Villoria
authors: Mark S
authors: MS
authors: Pearce
authors: Ashley J
authors: AJ
authors: Adamson
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000886:Anthropometry; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*