KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – Researchers at the University of Tennessee published a study shedding new light on the link between obesity and sugar intake.

According to the study, current obesity rates among American adults could be the result of dietary changes and sugar intake that took place decades ago – when these adults were children.

The lead researcher in the study stated, “while most public health studies focus on current behaviors, we took a novel approach and looked at how the diets we consumed in our childhood affect obesity levels now.”

A co-author of the study, which was published in the journal Economics and Human Biology, stated the results suggest habits learned by children 20 or 40 years ago could explain the adult obesity crisis that has emerged in the years since.

MORE ONLINE | UTK News: Today’s Obesity Epidemic May Have Been Caused by Childhood Sugar Intake Decades Ago