If you want your children to grow up lean, you might want to encourage them to eat with their fingers.
Infants given finger foods during weaning gain less weight than those who are spoon-fed purées by parents, a study shows.
Letting them choose what they want to eat from a
selection of foods also leads to them preferring a healthier diet, say researchers.
Psychologist Dr Ellen Townsend, who led the study, said babies who take control at mealtimes have the best chance of avoiding obesity. This may be because they get used to several textures, she suggested.
"Control is the key thing, as well as sitting at the table with family, because it may help babies regulate what they eat in a way that will benefit them in later life," said Dr Townsend.
