Having two children is always harder than having one but it pays off in the end as they have a friend and a playmate for life, or at least in most cases.
I’ve always thought those girls that have a sister are lucky as most often they become very close in their later years.
The older sister tends to call the shots as they get to do everything first and then gets to tell their younger siblings how it’s done.
But a recent study has revealed that being the oldest isn’t all it’s cracked up to be as the oldest sibling is more likely to be heavier.
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A study carried out on almost 13,500 sisters in Sweden found that the sisters who were first born had a greater body mass index (BMI) than their younger siblings.
Older sisters were 40 per cent more likely to be obese than second-born sisters, according to the study.
The findings back up similar research on men that found firstborn males were more likely to be overweight than younger brothers, according to an article in the Daily Mail.
The research was gathered between 1991 and 2009 and examined the weight rates from as early as pregnancy and then followed until they were 18 years old.
“Mother overfeeds first baby”
A considerable increase in weight was noted over the long period; a rise of four ounces each year, according to the research, reported in the article.
It’s unclear as to why this is the case but there are plenty of theories out there.
Dr. Maria Peña, Director of the Center for Weight Management at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said it’s more likely the mother overfeeds the first baby and that overfeeding continues.
“Maybe the first-born competes with the second-born for food in the household. Maybe more money gets spent on the firstborn,” adds Gary Sacks of Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia.
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