Maternal Feeding Practices and Childhood Obesity

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Abstract
ONE IN 3 ADULTS and almost 1 in 4 children in the United States are obese, and the prevalence of obesity is increasing rapidly.1,2 Once obesity develops, it is difficult to treat.3 Obese children are more likely to become obese adults.4,5 Seventy percent of obese 6- to 9-year-old children with obese parents will become obese adults.6 For all of these reasons, prevention of obesity in early childhood is essential. However, to develop early methods of prevention, a better understanding of the environmental factors in early childhood that promote obesity is needed so that specific behaviors can be targeted.