Study: Many Obese Teens Were Overweight As 5 Year Olds

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- More than one third of American children are overweight or obese, and a new study shows signs of this health problem can be detected earlier than you might think.

Researchers followed nearly 8,000 children, and almost half of the kids who were obese at 14 were already overweight when they were just 5 years old.

Pediatricians say taking simple healthier steps when children are small is the key to preventing obesity.

"It's so easy to cut calories just by stopping juice in a child's diet, giving low fat milk after two instead of whole milk, getting your kids active," said Dr. Dyan Hes of Gramercy Pediatrics in New York. "Children should have one hour of physical activity a day."

The study also found that babies born large are at the highest risk of becoming obese by high school.