EUROPE – A major new trial is underway in Europe, designed to determine whether childhood eating habits impact on the risk of obesity in later life.

The Chopin project, funded by the EU Framework, identifies childhood obesity as a major concern for the EU, and believes that what milk new-born children drink could affect their eating habits later in life.

In particular, it said that infants fed on milk formula are more likely to be obese than those fed on breast milk. The reason for this could be the generally higher protein content of infant formulae.

It is hoped that the project will help inform parents of the foods that contribute to healthy diets.