title: Early rapid weight gain and subsequent overweight and obesity in middle childhood in Peru.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rapid postnatal weight gain is associated with risk of overweight and obesity, but it's unclear whether this holds in populations exposed to concurrent obesogenic risk factors and for children who have been extensively breastfed. This study investigates whether an increase in weight for age from birth to 1 year (infancy) and from 1 to 5 years (early childhood) predicts overweight and obesity, and waist circumference at 8 years, using data from a longitudinal cohort study in Peru.
  
  
  METHODS
  Generalized estimating equations (GEE) models were constructed for overweight and obesity, obesity alone and waist circumference at 8 years versus rapid weight gain in infancy, and early childhood including adjusted models to account for confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rapid weight gain in both periods was associated with double the risk of overweight and obesity, obesity alone at 8 years and increased waist circumference even after controlling for maternal BMI and education level, sex of child, height-for-age at 8 years, consumption of "fast food" and number of days of active exercise. The association was significant, with some differences, for children in both rural and urban environments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rapid weight gain in infancy and in early childhood in Peru is associated with overweight and obesity at age 8 years even when considering other determinants of childhood obesity.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación Nutricional, Ave La Molina 1885, La Molina, Lima 12 Peru.
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Penny
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación Nutricional, Ave La Molina 1885, La Molina, Lima 12 Peru.
authors.forename: M Michelle
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Jimenez
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación Nutricional, Ave La Molina 1885, La Molina, Lima 12 Peru.
authors.forename: R Margot
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Marin
keywords: Childhood; Early rapid weight gain; Infancy; Overweight and obesity; Peru