Babies with hearty appetite at risk of obesity

The PRS scores were then examined to determine the correlation with the children's satiety responsiveness and adiposity, or body fatness.

"As expected, we found that children with a higher PRS score ( more obesity-risk' genetic variants) were likely to have larger BMI (body mass index) and waist circumference," said Clare Llewellyn, lead author from the University College London. "But more importantly, we also found that these children were more likely to have low satiety responsiveness.

The findings suggest that satiety sensitivity could be targeted for pharmacological and behavioral interventions, to prevent or treat obesity, said the researchers.

"For example, children with lower satiety sensitivity could be taught techniques that might improve their fullness signals when eating, such as slowing their eating speed," Llewellyn said. " Another approach might be to provide better advice to parents and children about appropriate portion sizes, limiting access to ' second helpings' and ensuring tempting treats are out of sight between meals."

In a related editorial, Daniel Belsky of the Duke University Medical Center said that the papers show that the obesogenic environment does not affect all children equally.

"The fact that children confronted with similar environmental circumstances experience disparate outcomes has been attributed to genetic factors," Belsky wrote. "But just what these genetic factors are and just how they contribute to individual differences in response to the obesogenic environment remains, if not entirely a mystery, an enduring puzzle."