Surprising Benefit Of Having Siblings: Kids With Younger Siblings Are Less At Risk For Obesity, Study Shows

Younger siblings usually have a habit of annoying their older siblings. However, the older siblings should cut their younger siblings some slack because there is a surprising benefit of having a younger sibling. According to a study, kids with younger siblings are less at risk for obesity.

The results of the new study show that kids from families with an only child are 300 percent more likely to develop obesity by the first grade compared to kids with a younger sibling born three or four years after they were born, as reported by Modern Readers. The research involved the study and monitoring of almost 700 kids from the U.S. from the time they were born until they turn six.

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Having siblings does not directly prevent obesity and having no siblings does not directly cause obesity. The number of siblings simply affects some key lifestyle changes related to becoming obese.

"It is possible that when there is a younger sibling in the family, a child might become more active - for example running around more with their toddler sibling," lead author Dr. Julie Lumeng told Modern Readers. "Maybe families are more likely to take the kids to the park when there is a younger sibling, or maybe the child is less likely to be sedentary, watching TV, when there is a younger sibling to engage them in more active pretend play."

Another possible reason why having siblings can decrease the risk for becoming obese is the changes in the eating habits of the family. Parents of an only child might be more likely to indulge their kids with lots of food. Parents of two or more children might be more likely to encourage sharing of food.

There are several health risks linked to obesity. Obese people are more likely to develop heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, gallbladder disease, gallstones, bone problems, gout, asthma and breathing difficulties, according to WebMD.