20 May, 2005 14:55 GMT
Sleep 'may alter risk of obesity through growth hormone secretion or because sleep reduces the child's exposure to factors in the environment that promote obesity, such as food intake in the evening.' But it may simply be that children who are more physically active get more tired and sleep longer at night.
Watching too much TV and not getting enough sleep are among key indicators children will grow up to be obese, say scientists.
Experts have listed them following a major study of 9,000 seven-year-olds who were carefully measured.
Dr. John Reilly of the University of Glasgow said: "Eight factors in early life are associated with an increased risk of obesity in childhood."
They are:
Birth weight;
obesity in one or both parents;
more than eight hours TV a week aged three;
sleeping less than 10.5 hours a night aged three;
size in early life -- measured at eight and 18 months;
rapid weight gain in the first year of life;
rapid catch-up growth between birth and two years;
and early development of body fat in pre-school years -- before the age at which it should be increasing (at the age of 5-6).
Dr. Reilly added: "We are missing an opportunity if we do not modify lifestyle and environment early in life."
The University of Glasgow study, reported in the British Medical Journal, looked at children whose growth had been followed since birth.
The team report sleep "may alter risk of obesity through growth hormone secretion or because sleep reduces the child's exposure to factors in the environment that promote obesity, such as food intake in the evening."
But it may simply be that children who are more physically active get more tired and sleep longer at night.
Obesity among children aged two to 10 in England rose from 9.9 percent in 1995 to 13.7 percent in 2003. The percentage overweight or obese increased from 22.7 to 27.7 in those years.
(c) 2005 Daily Mirror. All rights reserved.
(c) 2005 Daily News Central. All rights reserved.
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