Delaying solid food may affect obesity

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Delaying the introduction of solid food in infants doesn't affect a child's weight until later adulthood, researchers at the University of Copenhagen found.

Kim Fleischer Michaelsen investigated these factors in a group of individuals who were studied from birth until adulthood.

The study, published in the March issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found neither breastfeeding duration nor timing of complementary foods was related significantly to body mass index in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood.

However, at age 42, the risk of being overweight decreased with increasing age at introduction of complementary foods. For instance, for each month introduction of vegetables was delayed, the risk of being overweight at age 42 was reduced by 10 percent, the study found.