Childhood obesity has tremendous costs to society, including near-term health and long-term health costs as obese children become adults. Most children follow a pattern of slower weight gain after age one. However, scientists at Washington State University and other leading research institutions were able to link some cases of childhood obesity to whether their mothers smoke, were overweight before pregnancy or gained excess weight during pregnancy.. These children tended to rapidly gain weight during and after the age of four. The study in JAMA Network Open found an ability to identify these at-risk children as early as age three and one-half and apply interventions during prenatal care, including healthy