PERIODS OF RISK IN CHILDHOOD FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADULT OBESITY - WHAT DO WE NEED TO LEARN

The prenatal period, the period of adiposity rebound and adolescence a ppear to represent critical periods for the development of obesity tha t persists into adulthood. Nonetheless, relatively little is known abo ut the extent to which incident obesity at each of these intervals con tributes to the prevalence of adult obesity. Similarly, little is know n about the mechanisms that operate at each of these critical periods to entrain adult obesity.