Having siblings can lower risk of obesity in children, says study

Parents with obese kids take a note.

Parents who want their children to be healthy and want to take steps to control childhood obesity should take notice of this. Becoming an elder brother or sister before pre-school days can lower a child's risk of becoming obese, researchers suggest, adding that children who didn't have a sibling are three times more likely to become obese by the first grade. The birth of a sibling by the time a child reaches the first grade or when the child is between two and four years can help the kid maintain a healthier body mass index (BMI).

Having younger siblings -- compared with having older or no siblings -- is associated with a lower risk of being overweight, said senior author Julie Lumeng, paediatrician at University Of Michigan. However, how the birth of a sibling can shape risk of obesity during childhood is unclear yet. Children may possibly engage in more active play or less sedentary time in front of screens once a younger sibling is born, contributing to healthier BMIs. Also, parents may change the way they feed their child once a new sibling is born and the changing dietary habits may have a significant impact on their BMI.

Childhood obesity rates continue to be a great cause of concern. If the birth of sibling changes behaviours within a family in ways that protect against obesity, these may be patterns other families can try to create in their own homes. Better understanding the potential connection between a sibling and weight may help health providers and families create new strategies for helping children grow up healthy, the authors suggested.