The way you ate as a child may influence how your body uses and stores nutrients, a new Canadian study suggests.
Research published in the Journal of Physiology suggests that environmental factors in early childhood such as eating habits may have an impact on later health.
As part of the research, Dr Raylene Reimer and colleagues at the University of Calgary placed young rats on three separate diets.
One ate foods high in protein, another consumed a high-fiber diet and a third group was used as a control. The scientists then switched the animals to a typical Western diet when they reached adulthood.
They found the rats that had eaten a high-fiber diet early on were much less likely to gain weight and body fat than those in the high-protein group, despite the fact they were now consuming the same foods.
“I believe this study clearly shows that the composition of early childhood diet may have a direct lifelong impact on genes that control metabolism and obesity risk,” Reimer said.
Recent findings have suggested that childrens eating habits may be changing. New figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 1 in every 200 young Americans follows a vegetarian diet.