Does white rice cereal lead to child obesity?

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- There's rising concern that white rice cereal, long recommended as a first solid food for babies, may lead to childhood obesity.

Stanford pediatrician Dr. Alan Greene says giving children white rice cereal is like feeding them a spoonful of sugar because it is processed white flour.

Greene believes white rice cereal conditions children to prefer sugary processed foods which he thinks leads to childhood obesity.

He wants parents to instead start their babies on pureed fruits and vegetables combined with a whole grain cereal instead of white rice.

"I have serious problems with white rice cereal. One of the things that I have become convinced of is that white rice cereal can predispose to childhood obesity. In fact, I think it's the tap root of the childhood obesity epidemic," Greene said on Monday's "Good Morning America."

Gerber, the No.1 seller of white rice cerea,l released a statement saying they're "not aware of any scientific studies that support the theory that white rice cereal contributes to childhood obesity, and welcome the opportunity to review any relevant scientific data."

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