Study links obesity in Chinese children to antibiotics in food

High volumes of antibiotics are widely reported in food production in China; a new study based on research in East China claims there is evidence of “significant association” between veterinary antibiotics and obesity among the young. Researchers at Shanghai's Fudan University found traces of up to 21 antibiotics, including those used for animals, in 80% of a group of 586 schoolchildren in Shanghai; the children with higher traces of antibiotics in their systems were two to three times more likely to be obese, with boys more likely to be affected than girls.

Children with high traces of antibiotics in their systems are two to three times more likely to be obese, with boys affected more than girls