Poo test at 2 ‘predicts obesity’

STOOL tests on infants aged two can predict their risk of becoming obese by the time they are 12, a study claims.

Bacteria in their gut were linked to the increased risk, experts at Colorado University found. They also said that the children did not have high Body Mass Index scores at two, which meant the findings could lead to a way of targeting help at a very young age. The author of the study, Maggie Stanislawski, revealed that links to obesity were found at an even earlier age but were strong by two.

She said: “Our study provides more evidence that gut microbiota might be playing a role in later obesity.”