Risks and Benefits of Weight Gain in Children With Undernutrition

A 21-year longitudinal study of children in the Dogon villages of Mali's Bandiagara Escarpment reveals that weight gain during early childhood, while associated with modest increases in adult systolic blood pressure and obesity prevalence, offers significant benefits in terms of adult height. The research, involving over 1,300 participants, found that a one-standard-deviation increase in childhood weight was linked to a 3-4 cm taller stature in adulthood for both males and females, outweighing the risks of hypertension and obesity. This suggests that in undernourished populations, careful weight management during early years could enhance long-term health outcomes without significantly increasing cardiovascular risks.

Strassmann, B. I., Vincenz, C., Villamor, E., Lovett, J. L., Dolo, Z. D., & Shedden, K. (2025). Risks and Benefits of Weight Gain in Children With Undernutrition. JAMA Network Open, 8(6), e2514289. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.14289