Childhood obesity: Reducing the risk through early-life measures

Carrying excess weight increases a child’s risk of health issues that often extend into adulthood. While there is awareness that overconsumption of food – particularly high calorie, ultraprocessed products – may lead to excess weight in children, it is less recognised that other factors such as in utero nutrition and certain parent/caregiver feeding practices may also promote childhood obesity.

This evidence brief focuses on how early life nutrition, including prenatal exposures, caregiver feeding practices and childhood eating behaviours, contributes to overweight and obesity risk in children.