London, Apr 23 : Now, you don’t have to stop your kids from eating fast food to stop them from becoming obese.

Scientists have reportedly found a hormone-like substance, which when added to babies’ milk or given to expecting mums, might prevent kids from getting fat in adulthood, reports Times Online.

The hormone like substance is Leptin, which is produced by excessive amounts of fat. Leptin gives signals to the brain to deter further eating.

Scientists experimented with pregnant and lactating rats by providing them with Leptin- rich food and found that no matter what they ate, their babies did not put on weight.

They theorised that the intake of Leptin early in life ‘hard-wires’ the body’s energy-balance settings.

According to Dr Mike Cawthorne of the University of Buckingham, mother’s milk contains Leptin but other food supplements don’t.

Professor Steve O’Rahilly, a Cambridge University expert on Leptin, does not agree.

“There is no evidence that this ‘early life’ imprinting effect of Leptin is at all relevant for humans,” O’Rahilly said. (ANI)