Chubby cheeks, pot bellies and thigh dimples are features that make a baby irresistibly cute – but not for some parents.
New data in the world of parenting shows that more parents are concerned about their little ones’ weight and are reacting by putting them on diets, according to ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Childhood obesity is on the rise and becoming a concern at younger ages. one in 10 in the U.S. children under the age of two are overweight, more than double the number it was 20 years ago.
Dr. Jatinder Bhatia, chair of the nutrition committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said she thinks some parents are dealing with their own personal struggles with weight.
"I have seen parents putting their infant and 1 year old on diets because of history in one parent or another," Bhatia told ABC.
But how far will parents go to ensure their child doesn’t turn into “the fat kid?”
In one extreme case early this year, a Washington State mother and father were found guilty of putting laxatives in their infant’s bottle so she wouldn’t gain weight.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, hospitalizations due to eating disorders in children under 12 years old rose 119 percent since 1999.
Bhatia said although parents have the right idea about keeping tabs on their children’s eating and exercise habits, there is such a thing as going too far—and baby diets are not the answer.
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