A chubby five year old girl will likely continue to be bothered by weight problems when she grows up. China's well-known scientist Prof. Ding Zhongyi has done research which indicates that for overweight children, their fat accumulation will reach its peak by the age of five and their fat-engorged cells will affect their adulthood.

If a girl becomes overweight because she is fed too much or overeats during her early years, or sits too much and does not exercise enough, there is a possibility of her being afflicted by pancreatitis and in later years may even have diabetes.

Prof. Ding, who has spent 30 years on researching children's nutrition, said that although the psychological damage on overweight girls are hard to detect, but their weight problem can have long-lasting effects on their personality, quality, character and overall future development, perhaps even encountering problems in getting married.

Prof. Ding pointed out that the earlier one becomes overweight, the greater the negative effect these children feel about their body.

(Chinanews.cn July 11, 2005)