A THIN toddler has more chance of getting diabetes than a fat one, according to new research by scientists from Southampton University.

Children who are born thin but then rapidly gain weight are more likely to develop the condition than those born heavier, the British Heart Foundation funded study found.

Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common non-communicable diseases globally, with Britain predicted to have three million sufferers by 2010.

In the BHF study, scientists from four Indian medical research centres and the University of Southampton traced nearly 1,500 residents of a community in south Delhi, India.

As children, the participants had taken part in a childhood growth study from 1969-72 and are now young adults.

Looking at those who were thin during early infancy, the study found that none were obese in childhood but discovered that they had a high rate of body mass gain.

It continued into adulthood, making them overweight or obese.