Baby Fat Is About More Than Cuteness

At birth, human infants have the highest percentage of body fat of any species. Here’s why.

SAPIENS
SAPIENS
Feb 25, 2019 · 4 min read
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Pudginess in babies offers an evolutionary advantage. Photo: paula sierra/Moment/Getty Images

By Morgan K. Hoke

“Aw, you still have your baby fat!” This refrain plagued me throughout my childhood. No matter what I did, I couldn’t shake my “baby fat.” I was not a particularly overweight child. I just seemed to…

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