Study: Excessive weight gain during pregnancy may lead to childhood obesity

NEW YORK -- A new study finds that mothers who put on a lot of weight during pregnancy may be putting their children at risk for obesity.

Scientists at Columbia University studied women who had excessive weight gain during pregnancy. They found that by the time their children reached the age of seven, they showed above-average levels of body fat.

The study found the danger to children is even greater if mothers gained a lot of weight before they became pregnant. In that case, children had a 300 percent increased risk for obesity.