Based on a data of 12,000 children as published in the International Journal of Obesity, kids who are looked after by their grandparents are most likely to be overweight or suffer from obesity.

Led by Professor Catherine Law from the University College London, the study used the data—children’s health born between 2000 to 2001 between nine months and three years old—from the Millennium Cohort Study.

Researchers found out that 15 percent of kids looked after by their grandparents for part-time only were more likely to be overweight while those looked after their grandparents for full-time went overweight by as much as 30 percent.

The possibilities as to why these kids become fatter are:

* Grandparents may be more indulgent, perhaps using candy as a reward for good behavior.
* Older carers may lack the energy and fitness to be physically active with children.
* Parents may be better educated about healthy eating than grandparents.

There is a possibility that this could lead to some new policy that will require grandparents to be better educated about one’s health to ensure that children will be healthier when they grow up.