A University of Michigan study found young children who are obese have a chance to shed the baby weight in the future.
According to UM researchers, American children battling obesity reach "a lower weight status at least once through childhood, and 22 percent of these kids experience persistent remission of obesity--achieving and maintaining a lower weight status--by 8th grade.
Trends also found that kids who experienced remission gained much less weight over time than children who remained obese. These children who remained obese often gained one-third to half as many pounds than their peers every couple years.
"Some children are able to experience remission even if they don't participate in clinic-based weight management programs, which may be hard for some families to access, " said Katherine Bauer, an assistant professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences. "By continuing to understand children who experience obesity remission, we can identify creative ways to give children and families the support they need."
