TOO many children in Wales are living with overweight or obesity before their third birthday, according to new analysis.

A combination of early interventions and supportive environments could help change this.

Public Health Wales and Digital Health and Care Wales looked at routine data showing the influences on rapid weight gain during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life and the BMI of 4,044 children born in Wales in 2022.

Of that sample, 15 per cent of children were living with overweight and nearly 12 per cent were living with obesity by the time they were 27 months old.

Research shows that rapid weight gain in infancy is influenced by multiple factors, including feeding practices, introduction of solid foods, sleep patterns, and the wider environment.

In this study, how infants were fed at six months was one factor that significantly influenced whether they had experienced rapid weight gain, as well as low birth weight and preterm birth. Those babies fed exclusively on formula milk had nearly double the chance of rapid weight gain compared to those exclusively breastfed.

Rachel Bath, Consultant in Public Health and lead for Early Years at Public Health Wales, said: “The foundation for a life lived in good health is built in our early years, and actions in the first years of life to prevent overweight will have the greatest impact on the rest of a child’s life.

“Our data analysis supports the existing evidence base that breastfeeding reduces the risk of overweight. The evidence also supports the need for us to consider babies and children in all our policy decisions so we can create the conditions to enable the best start in life.

“We recognise that how parents feed their baby is a personal choice, and many families face real barriers to breastfeeding. We welcome the focus on children in the 2025-27 Healthy Weight Healthy Wales delivery plan and we are looking forward to seeing Welsh Government’s Infant Feeding Action Plan which aims to make breastfeeding a culturally accepted and supported option for all mothers.”

Three in five adults in Wales live with overweight or obesity, and one in four children, and the overall trend is worsening. Overweight and obesity is higher in areas of greater deprivation and is a driver for diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and many cancers.

The cost to society is significant – Public Health Wales estimates that ill health costs relating to overweight and obesity for the Welsh NHS are around £500 million every year.

Dr Ilona Johnson, Consultant in Public Health and Interim co-Director of Health Improvement at Public Health Wales, supports the introduction of regulations around the promotion and placement of food in retail environments:

“People feel the environment is working against them because they are surrounded by high energy food that is low in nutrients. Healthier lives and healthier choices need to be easier and this means the places where we live, work and play should be healthier and supportive by default.”