Why is there a social divide in child obesity rates?

Researchers from the University of Liverpool have identified important early life factors that contribute to childhood obesity rates being different for children from different socio-economic backgrounds. It is well known that overweight and obesity are more common among children from disadvantaged backgrounds, but it's not known how much of a role early life factors might have in this. In the first study of its kind researchers from the University's Institute of Psychology, Health and Society found that smoking during pregnancy and being overweight before becoming pregnant account for a sizeable proportion-around 40%-of the persistent social divide in childhood obesity rates. Socioeconomic circumstances The research team, led by Dr David Taylor-Robinson , estimated the risk of overweight or obesity at the age of 11 among almost 12,000 children according to their socioeconomic circumstances at birth. All the children were part of the Millennium Cohort Study, which is tracking the long term health of children born in the UK between September 2000 and January 2002. The children's weight and height were measured when they were 11 years old. The researchers also looked at the potential impact of a range of factors from responses to detailed questionnaires their mothers had completed.