Too low birth weight promotes obesity in the long term. Stunted babies are more likely to have a high body mass index later in life.
A meta-analysis of 43 studies published in The Journal of Pediatrics showed an increased risk of metabolic syndrome in premature babies. In a cohort of very premature babies born in 1997 with frequent postnatal growth deficiency, a study conducted in Nantes, France, found an increase in the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease in these babies.