Whether a child is slim or overweight at the age of 10 is explained mostly by genetic factors, scientists suggest.
The study, involving more than 2,500 pairs of twins, suggests that genes account for 82 per cent of the variation in body mass index in 10-year-olds.
The influence of genes on weight appeared to increase substantially throughout childhood, which scientists put down to older children having more freedom to act on their urge to eat.
Clare Llewellyn, an epidemiologist at University College London, said: “When you’re four years old, your parents decide how much to feed you. By the age of ten, you might be the child who always asks for seconds or goes for a snack from the fridge.”
Previously, several genes linked to