According to a new study, giving children their biggest meals at lunch or dinner could make then fat. Researchers found that high-calorie lunch and dinner could have a great impact on weight after a few years.
The researchers from the University of Porto, Portugal, conducted a study on weight gain in more than 1,900 children’s three-day food diaries at age four, prior to examining weight at age seven.
The findings of the study were presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Glasgow.
They also considered factors such as a mother’s age and education, which could affect the results.
The investigators concluded, “Having a relatively higher energy intake at lunch and supper or at mid-afternoon at four years old was associated with higher odds of developing overweight/obesity at seven years old.”
A lunch with relatively high fat increased the risk of childhood obesity at the age of seven by nearly 17 percent.
The researchers warned that skipping breakfast as well as eating later in the day could have a negative impact on a child’s body weight. The president and professor of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health Russell Viner said, “Whilst this information is important for good child health, so too is a balanced diet and regular exercise.”
