Systematic examination of infant size and growth metrics as risk factors for overweight in young adulthood

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Updated: May 10, 2026

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Andrew O Odegaard1, Audrey C Choh, Ramzi W Nahhas

  • 1Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Odeg0025@umn.edu

Plos One
|July 3, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Infant weight-for-length, not just weight-for-age, is a key predictor of young adult overweight. Rapid growth in weight-for-length during infancy strongly associates with later overweight status.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Growth Monitoring

Background:

  • Infant growth patterns are critical indicators of future health.
  • The 2006 World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards provide a global reference for infant assessment.
  • Understanding early life growth metrics' association with adult overweight is crucial for preventative strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate infant size and growth using WHO standards as predictors of young adult overweight.
  • To compare the predictive value of weight-for-age versus weight-for-length for adult overweight risk.
  • To identify specific infant age targets and rapid growth intervals associated with young adult overweight.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 422 appropriate for gestational age white singleton infants from the Fels Longitudinal Study.
  • Logistic regression models calculated odds ratios (OR) for young adult overweight (ages 20-29).
  • Assessment of infant metrics at target ages (0-24 months) and rapid growth intervals (Δ≥0.67 Z-score), controlling for parental BMI.

Main Results:

  • Infants at or above the 85th percentile for weight-for-age (except at 3 months) showed increased odds of young adult overweight.
  • This association was limited to 12 and 18 months when accounting for length (weight-for-length).
  • Rapid weight-for-length growth from 0-24 months and specific intervals (e.g., 1-12 months, 3-9 months) strongly predicted young adult overweight.

Conclusions:

  • The WHO weight-for-length metric offers a different risk profile for young adult overweight compared to weight-for-age.
  • Rapid weight-for-length growth during infancy, particularly in intervals like 0-24 months and 1-12 months, is a significant predictor of adult overweight.
Abstract

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