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They may be our competitor in almost everything, but having siblings may actually be good for our health, a recent study has revealed.
Researchers at the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital believe that children, especially those between two and four years old, tend to have lower body mass index when a sibling is born.
In order to come up with the findings, the researchers led by pediatrician Dr. Julie Lumeng looked into 697 children across the US and tracked the increases in their BMI after the birth of their sibling.
Dr. Lumeng said, “Research suggests that having younger siblings—compared with having older or no siblings—is associated with a lower risk of being overweight. However, we have very little information about how the birth of a sibling may shape obesity risk during childhood.”
The researchers believe that parents may modify the way they feed their kid once a new child is born. Changing the diet and eating habits, especially at the age of three, may have significant and lasting effects. Moreover, researchers think that children with siblings engage in more “active play” rather than sedentary activities.
“If the birth of a sibling changes behaviors within a family in ways that protect against obesity, these may be patterns other families can try to create in their own homes,” Dr. Lumeng added.
