With much of the American population overweight or obese these days, is there a time in the lives of girls and boys when the habits that lead to added weight start to form solidly?

A new report find that girls at least are most likely to gain weight early in adolescence. In effect, girls between the ages of 9 and 12 gain weight at those ages which lasts into later teenage years -- and for some, much later in life.

In fact, a research nutritionist that contributed to the report stated "This shows that obesity and other risk factors for heart disease track from younger to older. This is a wake-up call for policymakers, for schools, for parents." Because if these habits begin earlier and last for a long time, chances are they'll be so hard to break that they won't be.