Second in a series of posts on IFPRI’s work on growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) supported by the Gates Foundation. Read the first post here.
Childhood obesity is a growing concern worldwide, affecting more than 35 million children under 5. Being overweight or obese in early childhood can lead to serious health problems that often persist into adulthood, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Predicting which children are likely to be overweight or obese later in childhood, combined with effective interventions, theoretically could help prevent these long-term consequences.