Parents Forcing Chubby Babies to Diet

Chubby thighs and squeezable cheeks are the sign of a healthy baby, right? Not for some parents, who are foisting their own weight obsessions and fears on their infants, reports ABC News. "I have seen parents putting their infant and 1-year-old on diets because of history in one parent or another," says one children's nutrition expert. Adds another doctor, "There's some parents who are very pleased when their children are thin. A lot of fathers, even, they're like, 'Yes, my daughter's thin,' when the daughter's like 5 or 6 months old."

ABC News points to an extreme case in Washington, where a couple was convicted of starving their baby, fearful she would grow up to be fat like her dad; on the blog MomLogic, one reader complained that a mom in her playgroup fed her 7-month-old bottles of water to keep him slim. These parents may be setting their kids up for more than eating disorders: "Babies who grow at the lower percentiles run the risk of lower neurocognitive outcome and more lung disease, but less risk for adverse outcomes," said one expert. (More diet stories.)