Nutrition experts have warned that feeding babies high-calorie foods and products that promote rapid weight gain increases their risk of obesity and being overweight.
The nutritionists noted that this could lead to difficulties in walking and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, liver diseases and juvenile cancers, among other health conditions in childhood and adulthood.
In exclusive interviews with PUNCH Healthwise, the experts further debunked the popular belief that a chubby and plump baby was healthy.
They asserted that chubbiness was not synonymous with health and emphasised that consistent and gradual growth was ideal for babies.
The warning follows a recent viral post on X, formerly Twitter, about a TikTok user selling “organic weight gain pap” for babies.
The seller shared two pictures of a four-month-old and a one-year-old, along with a screenshot of comments from their mothers about the “weight-gain pap.”
According to the post, the one-year-old reportedly weighed 47kg, while the four-month-old had noticeably chubby cheeks and a fuller body credited to the “rapid weight gain pap.”
However, the experienced nutritionists stated that a four-month-old child should still be exclusively breastfed and should not be given pap or complimentary food.
They also expressed concerns about the weight of the one-year-old, noting that a child of that age should not weigh 47kg.
The nutritionists urged parents to avoid products that promised rapid weight gain, stating that such claims often lacked scientific validation and could be harmful.
According to the World Health Organisation, obesity is defined by excessive fat deposits that can impair health and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, bone health and certain cancers.
