Birth weight has consequences

Your birth weight may shorten your life expectancy, whether you were light or heavy when you were

born. Researchers from NTNU and Yale University in the United States have compared information on both births and deaths in 37 000 adults from three continents, and found a strong statistical correlation between birth weight and causes of adult mortality.

Low birth weight increases the risk of earlier death from heart disease – while high birth weight increases the risk of cancer. Researchers do not yet know why this is so.